In 2003, practically all large company projects and about 80 per cent of all business R&D projects included networking. The figures include corporate R&D projects but not feasibility studies.

Cooperation between higher education institutions and business

External financing made up 55% of the higher education sector research funding in 2003. The higher education research funding from domestic companies was 56 million euros, and from foreign companies over 14 million euros. This represented about 13% of all external higher education research funding.

Cooperation with business and networking in projects funded by Tekes

Tekes monitors cooperation and networking in R&D projects it funds using the following indicators: the share of subcontracting from research institutes, participation in technology programmes, international cooperation and, in projects carried out by large companies, the share of subcontracting from SMEs. Annually, practically all large company projects and about 80 per cent of all business R&D projects include networking. The figures include corporate R&D projects but not feasibility studies.

In 2004, 62 per cent of business R&D projects cooperated with research institutes or universities. 30 per cent participated in technology programmes and 36 per cent included international cooperation. 64 per cent of R&D projects in large companies contained subcontracting from small and medium-sized companies.