Almost half of all the corporate self-funded research and development in the US is being conducted in five states, according to a new analysis by the National Science Foundation.
The list of the top five states with the largest R&D shares does not include any surprises; it includes California, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Each of these have core strengths in particular areas, such as energy, automobiles, computing and semiconductors, or life sciences, (when you have a Google, a Microsoft, a General Motors in your state you are going to be near the top), but most of these also host a range of industries.
By examining data from NSF's 2011 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) NSF finds that US firms funded and performed $239 billion in R&D in the US, with the top five states accounting for $115 billion. Roughly $64 billion of that was conducted by firms in California, while spending by firms the following top four states totaled $51 billion. The top ten states were responsible for 70 percent of US corporate R&D, or $163 billion.
By examining data from NSF's 2011 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) NSF finds that US firms funded and performed $239 billion in R&D in the US, and that $64 billion of that was conducted by firms in California.
The largest industry area the report examined was the 'pharmaceuticals and medicines' field, which totaled $41.1 billion that year. California, which ranked tops in corporate spending in eight out of 10 industry areas, also spent the most in pharmaceuticals and medicines, around $10 billion.