Research and development in the business enterprise sector:
Enterprises invest SEK 85.9 billion on R&D
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2014-12-12 9.30
In 2013 enterprises in Sweden invested SEK 85.9 billion on research and development (R&D). Compared to 2011, this is an increase of SEK 3.2 billion, at the price level of 2013. The number of person-years<sup>1</sup> amounted to roughly 56 400.
Goods-producing enterprises accounted for 72 percent (SEK 61.5 billion) and service-producing enterprises accounted for 28 percent (SEK 24.4 billion) of the expenditure for research and development. Of this expenditure, slightly less than SEK 82.4 billion was for operational costs and slightly less than SEK 3.6 billion was for investments. The increase compared to 2011 is found in labour force costs and consultancy fees.
1 The work that a full-time employee does during one year. This corresponds to the term full-time equivalent (FTE).
| Type of expenditure | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Total R&D expenditure | 81 929 | 82 749 | 85 934 |
| Labour force costs | 43 683 | 43 798 | 46 053 |
| Consultancy fees | 14 839 | 14 757 | 17 003 |
| Other current costs | 19 684 | 20 894 | 19 315 |
| Investments | 3 722 | 3 300 | 3 563 |
Research and development is concentrated to certain industries. The transport industry has the largest expenditure at SEK 18.1 billion. The following industries together account for about 40 percent of the expenditure: the transport industry; the industry for manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products; research and development institutions; and the industry for manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations. The number of person-years in R&D amounted to roughly 56 400 during the period. Roughly two-thirds of the person-years of enterprises were conducted within the goods-producing enterprises, and roughly one third within the service-producing enterprises.
Research and development is mainly financed by the enterprises themselves (89 percent) or by enterprises within the enterprise's group of companies (in Sweden or abroad).
Definitions and explanations
Research and Development (R&D)
Research is systematic work to find new knowledge or ideas with or without the aim of a particular purpose. Development work is a systematic work that uses research results, scientific knowledge or new ideas to bring about new material, goods, services, processes, systems, methods or significant improvements of those that already exist.
Intramural R&D includes activities carried out in Sweden by the organisation's own personnel, or by consultants in an R&D project led by the organisation, in which the organisation's personnel have worked together with the consultants. Intramural R&D includes R&D commissioned by others.
Person-years
The work that a full-time employee does during one year. This corresponds to the term full-time equivalent (FTE). A person who has been employed on a full-time basis but has only spent half of his/her working time on R&D has comprised 0.5 person-year.
Publication
A more detailed report of this survey is published in the Statistical Report.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.