NOTES
INTRODUCTION
This release presents summary statistics on Research and Experimental Development (R&D) undertaken by Australian businesses during 2009-10.
Users should refer to the Explanatory and Technical Notes for further contextual information when interpreting these results.
ADDITIONAL DATA
More detailed data, including time series data, will be made available in spreadsheet format (data cubes) by 31 October 2011. If users would like to be notified when these data are released, please email innovation.technology@abs.gov.au. Data cubes will appear on the Downloads page (cat. no. 8104.0) on the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>.
DATA QUALITY
When interpreting the results in this release, it is important to take into account factors that may affect the reliability of estimates. These factors are described in the Non-sampling error section of the Technical Note.
This release includes revised data for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 reference periods. Refer to the Revisions section of the Technical Note for details.
INQUIRIES
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Rebecca Gale on Perth (08) 9360 5179.
SUMMARY COMMENTARY
BUSINESS RESOURCES DEVOTED TO RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT (R&D)
During 2009-10, expenditure on R&D by Australian businesses was $16,685 million. Business expenditure on R&D (BERD) decreased by 3% in current price terms and 5% in chain volume terms, compared to 2008-09.
Business human resources devoted to R&D in 2009-10 totalled 57,457 person years of effort (PYE), an increase of 6% from 2008-09.
Business resources devoted to R&D |
|
 | | | | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08(a) | 2008-09(a) | 2009-10 |
|
| Expenditure on R&D | | | | | | |
| Current prices | | | | | | |
| | Value | $m | 10 434 | 12 639 | 15 047 | 17 264 | 16 685 |
| | Dollar change | $m | 1 758 | 2 205 | 2 408 | 2 216 | -579 |
| | Percentage change | % | 20 | 21 | 19 | 15 | -3 |
| Chain volume measures(b) | | | | | | |
| | Value | $m | 11 680 | 14 104 | 16 017 | 17 616 | 16 685 |
| | Dollar change | $m | 1 539 | 2 425 | 1 913 | 1 598 | -931 |
| | Percentage change | % | 15 | 21 | 14 | 10 | -5 |
| Human resources devoted to R&D | | | | | | |
| Value | PYE | 43 686 | 46 462 | 50 896 | 53 998 | 57 457 |
| PYE change | PYE | 3 228 | 2 776 | 4 434 | 3 102 | 3 459 |
| Percentage change | % | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
|
| (a) 2007-08 and 2008-09 data have been revised. See the Revisions section of the Technical Note for details. |
| (b) The reference year for chain volume measures is 2009-10. See Explanatory Notes 31 and 32 for details. |
Subsequent expenditure figures and supporting commentary relate to current price terms.
BERD and gross domestic product (GDP)
BERD as a proportion of GDP decreased between 2008-09 and 2009-10, down from 1.38% to 1.30%.
BERD, as a proportion of GDP(a)
The following table shows BERD/GDP ratios for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Users should note that 2009-10 data are unavailable for more countries than for previous cycles. The order in which countries are presented is to facilitate interpretation only and should not be viewed as a ranking. Once additional 2009-10 data become available, the order of countries may change.
BERD/GDP RATIOS OF OECD COUNTRIES(a)(b)(c) |
|
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| % | % | % | % | % |
|
| Israel | 3.43 | 3.50 | 3.88 | 3.78 | 3.42 |
| Finland | 2.46 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.76 | 2.83 |
| Sweden | 2.59 | 2.75 | 2.47 | 2.74 | 2.55 |
| Japan | 2.54 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.70 | 2.53 |
| Korea | 2.15 | 2.32 | 2.45 | 2.53 | na |
| Switzerland | na | na | na | 2.20 | na |
| United States of America | 1.80 | 1.86 | 1.92 | 2.02 | na |
| Denmark | 1.68 | 1.66 | 1.80 | 2.01 | 2.02 |
| Austria | 1.73 | 1.73 | 1.78 | 1.88 | 1.94 |
| Germany | 1.72 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.86 | 1.88 |
| Iceland | 1.43 | 1.59 | 1.46 | 1.44 | na |
| France | 1.30 | 1.32 | 1.31 | 1.32 | 1.37 |
| Belgium | 1.25 | 1.29 | 1.32 | 1.32 | 1.32 |
| Australia | 1.04 | 1.16 | 1.27 | 1.38 | 1.30 |
| Luxembourg | 1.35 | 1.43 | 1.32 | 1.22 | 1.24 |
| Slovenia | 0.84 | 0.94 | 0.87 | 1.07 | 1.20 |
| Ireland | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.85 | 0.94 | 1.17 |
| United Kingdom | 1.06 | 1.08 | 1.11 | 1.10 | 1.12 |
| Canada | 1.14 | 1.14 | 1.09 | 0.99 | 1.00 |
| Czech Republic | 0.89 | 1.01 | 0.95 | 0.91 | 0.92 |
| Norway | 0.82 | 0.82 | 0.85 | 0.86 | 0.91 |
| Netherlands | 1.01 | 1.01 | 0.96 | 0.88 | 0.86 |
| Portugal | 0.30 | 0.46 | 0.60 | 0.75 | 0.77 |
| Spain | 0.60 | 0.67 | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.72 |
| Hungary | 0.41 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 0.52 | 0.66 |
| Italy | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.61 | 0.65 | 0.65 |
| Estonia | 0.42 | 0.50 | 0.52 | 0.56 | 0.64 |
| New Zealand | 0.47 | na | 0.50 | na | na |
| Turkey | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.34 |
| Slovak Republic | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Mexico | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.18 | na | na |
| Poland | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.19 |
| Greece | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.17 | na | na |
| Chile | na | na | 0.11 | 0.16 | na |
| Total OECD | 1.51 | 1.55 | 1.58 | 1.62 | na |
|
| na not available |
| (a) Except for Australia, the BERD/GDP ratios shown for OECD countries are sourced from Main Science and Technology Indicators, Vol. 2011/1, OECD. Ratios for Australia have been calculated using the most recent ABS values for BERD and GDP. See Explanatory Notes 29 and 30. |
| (b) BERD/GDP ratios for some countries are projected or estimated as per the OECD source table. |
| (c) Countries are ranked by the most recent available BERD/GDP ratio. Once additional 2009-10 data become available, the order of countries may change. |
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