Gross Expenditure on Research and Development 2016

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

 

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) Scotland 2016.

The main findings are:

GERD in Scotland was £2,331 million in 2016. In real terms this represents an increase of £50 million or 2.2 per cent since 2015, taking GERD spend to its highest level since the series began in 2001.

Most of the growth in Scotland’s GERD over the latest year came from the business sector.

Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) spend was £1,072 million in Scotland in 2016 - up 10 per cent in real terms between 2015 and 2016.

Higher Education R&D (HERD) spend was £1,061 million in Scotland in 2016 - down 4.9 per cent in real terms between 2015 and 2016.

In 2016, R&D spending in the business sector overtook that of higher education - this is the first time in the series (back to 2001) that BERD spend has exceeded HERD spend in Scotland.

In 2016, Scotland’s GERD was 1.54 per cent of GDP, compared to 1.94 per cent for the EU. The gap in 2016 was 0.40 percentage points, which is 0.04 percentage points narrower than in 2015.

The figures released today were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

  

Background 

The full statistical publication can be accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/RD. This publication contains the most recent data for Gross Expenditure R&D (GERD) in 2016, and revised data for previous years.

GERD forms the basis of the National Indicator: Increase Research and Development Spending. This indicator is monitored via Scotland Performs at: http://www.gov.scot/About/scotPerforms/indicator/research

Further information on Business statistics within Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/RD

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/About

 

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