An Examination of R&D

An analysis by Battelle and R&D Magazine finds that global funding for research and development is stable, though it is marked by a few challenges. "Total global spending on R&D is anticipated to increase 3.6 percent, to almost $1.2 trillion," the report notes. For this analysis, Battelle and R&D Magazine surveyed 378 people, in various aspects of R&D, from 38 different countries, though the majority were from the United States. Among the challenges mentioned were limited budgets, with 37 percent of all respondents calling that "critical." US researchers were also concerned with development time with 37 percent saying that was important, as compared to 30 percent of non-US researchers. In the life sciences, the report says that "while merger and acquisition activity has abated somewhat, it continues to be a defining factor in R&D investment." The full report is here.