News Release 12-165

Research and Development Found to Be Most Prevalent in a Small Number of Regions Across the Country

At least $29.3 billion in R&D performed in two geographic areas



R&D is concentrated in geographic areas mostly on the West Coast and East Coast, data reveal.



September 11, 2012



This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Businesses perform a large share of their research and development in a small number of geographic areas, two of the largest being the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport area. In these two areas alone, designated as combined statistical areas (CSAs) by the Office of Management and Budget, companies performed at least $29.3 billion of R&D, according to a recent National Science Foundation report.

Data are from the 2008 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS). These new BRDIS data allow policymakers and researchers to explore patterns in R&D spending in greater geographic detail than previously available, and they provide new insight into how companies organize their R&D activities. This report highlights early findings from these data and discusses geographic patterns of business R&D within the United States.

For more information on this report, please contact Raymond Wolfe.

Please visit the NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) for more reports and other products.

-NSF-

Media Contacts

Deborah Wing, NSF, (703) 292-5344, email: dwing@nsf.gov



Program Contacts

Raymond M. Wolfe, NSF, (703) 292-7789, email: rwolfe@nsf.gov



The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2020 budget of $8.3 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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