Research and development expenditure EUR 6.9 billion
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Approximately EUR 6.9 billion was expended on research and development (R&D) in Finland in 2008. Business enterprises accounted for EUR 5.1 billion, the higher education sector for just under EUR 1.2 billion and the rest of the public sector for nearly EUR 600 million of this. Good EUR 600 million more R&D expenditure than in the previous year was recorded in statistics. The vast majority (94%) of the growth came from the business enterprise sector, but R&D expenditure also rose somewhat in the other examined sectors. In 2009 R&D expenditure is estimated to remain more or less on level with 2008.
In 2008, the GDP share of R&D expenditure rose to 3.72 per cent from the 3.5 per cent level where it has stood for the past few years, while in the current year the share is estimated to be 3.92 per cent. For a long time now Finland’s GDP share of R&D expenditure has been the second highest after Sweden among the EU countries, and even among other countries the only one ahead of it is Israel.
In 2008, a total of 79,300 persons were employed in research and development tasks, which is 200 fewer than one year previously. The number of R&D personnel increased by just under 800 in business enterprises, but decreased by around 500 in both the higher education sector and the public sector. Seventy per cent of the R&D personnel were researchers and R&D engineers, while the rest were engaged in expert or support tasks related to R&D activity. One in three of the R&D personnel was a woman. The number of person-years spent on R&D went up by 500 from the year before and totalled 56,700. However, the number of person-years only increased in business enterprises.
Source: Research and development 2008, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Tero Luhtala (09) 1734 3327, Ari Leppälahti (09) 1734 3237, Marianne Kaplas (09) 1734 3421
Director in charge: Leena Storgårds
