Global companies invested 447 billion dollars in development and research last year

The Japanese automotive company Toyota, which invested 7.7 billion dollars in R&D activities last year, leads the top list of the 1,000 largest investors in development and research.

Investments in research and development (R&D), according to a recently published study by the consulting firm for strategic management and technology Booz Allen Hamilton, increased by 10 percent last year compared to 2005, reaching 447 billion dollars. Researchers analyzed the results of 1,000 companies from around the world that invest the most in development and research.

The top-ranked Toyota increased its investments by 6.1 percent compared to the previous year. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer invested 4.7 percent more than a year earlier, amounting to 7.5 billion euros, placing it in second place, while despite reducing investments in the R&D sector by approximately 10 percent, the American car manufacturer Ford ranks third. 

The largest investments in research and development continue to be concentrated in several major industries – two-thirds of such investments are allocated to computers and electronics (29 percent), health (22 percent), and the automotive industry (17 percent), which has nevertheless reduced such investments compared to previous years. However, investments in research and development in the health sector increased by 13 percent, and in the software and internet sector by 12 percent.

Researchers have deemed it concerning for the European economy that the growth of R&D investments in Europe between 2001 and 2006 was less than 2.4 percent, while such investments in North America amounted to seven percent.  Among the 1,000 companies that invest the most in innovation and knowledge, 95 percent are headquartered in the United States and Japan. (T. V.)