Business expenditure on R&D continues to rise – Statistics NZ

MIL OSI – Source: Statistics New Zealand – Business expenditure on R&D continues to rise Businesses are spending more on research and development (R&D) and this expenditure is expected to rise again in 2015, Statistics New Zealand said today. Business expenditure on research and development (BERD) increased by $53 million to $1,246 million in 2014. The greatest increase came from the services industry, partly offset by decreases in R&D expenditure by the primary and manufacturing sectors (down $33 million and $14 million, respectively). Total expenditure on R&D in New Zealand remained around $2.6 billion in 2014, despite the increase in BERD, as R&D expenditure by the government and higher education (eg universities) sectors fell. As well as the increase in business expenditure, the 2014 survey also found the number of businesses performing R&D had increased. Fifty-eight more businesses performed R&D in 2014 than in 2012, taking the total to 1,549. “Computer services is now the biggest spender on R&D of any business type, and has surpassed machinery and equipment manufacturing,” business performance manager Jason Attewell said. “Service industries account for two-thirds of the New Zealand economy, but only some of these businesses have R&D activity.” Within the services industry, computer services had the largest increase – up from $221 million in 2012 to $311 million in 2014, a 41 percent increase. This includes activities such as hardware and software development, programming, and consulting services. The Research and Development Survey measures expenditure on R&D based on international definitions. However, it also asks about respondents’ expectations of future R&D expenditure. “Almost half of businesses in the survey expect to increase their R&D activity in the coming year. A further one-third expect their level of activity to remain the same,” Mr Attewell said. The Research and Development Survey is conducted every two years. See Research and Development Survey: 2014 for tables with more detailed industry and sector breakdowns. –]]>