1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Science and Innovation >> Resources devoted to R&D - Business sector

Business expenditure on R&D (BERD) in Australia in 2000-01 (table 25.6) was 18% higher than in 1999-2000. Although human resources (in person years) devoted to R&D in 2000-01 was only 5% higher than in 1999-2000, the labour costs of these human resources increased by 16%.

In 2000-01, BERD was 0.72% of GDP compared to 0.65% in 1999-2000. This is the first time that BERD as a percentage of GDP has increased since 1995-96 when it was 0.87%.

The increase in R&D expenditure between 1999-2000 and 2000-01 was attributable to a 57% increase by the Mining industry, an 8% increase by the Manufacturing industry and a 23% increase by Other industries in total. It should be noted that mineral exploration is excluded from the definition of R&D.


25.6 R&D RESOURCES, Businesses by industry
Businesses
Expenditure on R&D
Effort on R&D
1999-2000
2000-01
1999-2000
2000-01
1999-2000
2000-01
no.
no.
$m
$m
’000 person years
’000 person years
Mining (including services to mining)
100
89
291
456
0.8
1.2
Manufacturing
Food, beverage and tobacco
135
141
184
205
1.1
1.2
Textile, clothing, footwear and leather
51
51
18
27
0.2
0.2
Wood and paper product
36
33
102
100
0.4
0.3
Printing, publishing and recorded media
28
32
15
13
0.2
0.1
Petroleum, coal, chemical & associated product
331
348
377
385
2.2
2.5
Non-metallic mineral product
49
51
47
41
0.3
0.3
Metal product
182
171
227
199
1.1
1.0
Motor vehicle and part and other transport equipment
139
135
410
473
3.1
3.0
Photographic and scientific equipment
174
162
128
180
1.1
1.4
Electronic and electrical equipment and appliance
323
372
342
385
2.8
2.8
Industrial machinery and equipment
245
239
131
140
1.2
1.1
Other manufacturing
88
88
20
23
0.2
0.3
Total
1,781
1,823
2,002
2,170
14.0
14.2
Other industries
Wholesale and retail trade
297
291
387
388
2.6
2.6
Finance and insurance
35
36
138
264
1.0
0.9
Property and business services
874
932
744
831
6.0
6.4
Scientific research
148
152
211
218
1.3
1.3
Other n.e.c.
192
194
312
498
0.9
1.2
Total other industries
1,546
1,605
1,792
2,199
11.7
12.5
Total all industries
3,427
3,517
4,085
4,825
26.4
27.8
Source: Research and Experimental Development, Businesses, Australia (8104.0).


Major research fields (table 25.7) in which BERD took place were Computer software (15%), Communications technologies (11%), Manufacturing engineering (8%), Automotive engineering (7%), and Medical and health sciences (6%).

A slightly different pattern applied to human resources devoted to R&D, with 20% in Computer software, 9% in Manufacturing engineering, 9% in Automotive engineering, 8% in Communications technologies, and 6% in Medical and health sciences.


25.7 R&D RESOURCES, Businesses by field of research - 2000-01
Type of expenditure
Capital expenditure
Labour costs
Other current expenditure
Total
Human resources
$m
$m
$m
$m
’000 person years
Mathematical sciences
1.3
17.9
11.5
30.7
0.2
Physical sciences
3.2
26.5
21.7
51.4
0.4
Chemical sciences
12.4
80.7
80.6
173.7
1.2
Earth sciences
3.3
11.5
35.6
50.4
0.2
Biological sciences
11.5
51.2
59.3
122.0
0.7
Information systems
19.3
108.3
93.8
221.5
1.3
Computer software
58.3
470.2
200.4
728.9
5.7
Other information, computing & communication sciences
32.9
126.7
149.2
308.9
1.5
Industrial biotechnology and food sciences
15.9
62.5
50.2
128.6
0.8
Chemical engineering
16.6
23.9
32.8
73.3
0.3
Manufacturing engineering
46.5
158.0
185.2
389.7
2.5
Automotive engineering
26.7
157.2
165.4
349.3
2.4
Mechanical and industrial engineering
31.8
69.2
62.4
163.4
1.0
Resources engineering
28.6
79.6
179.3
287.6
0.9
Electrical and electronic engineering
12.7
72.4
61.8
147.0
1.1
Metallurgy
8.7
32.2
117.1
158.0
0.4
Materials engineering
9.7
42.5
50.8
103.1
0.7
Communications technologies
38.7
189.4
320.3
548.3
2.2
Other engineering and technology
26.0
143.1
136.3
305.5
1.7
Agricultural, veterinary and environmental sciences
12.3
58.7
82.7
153.7
0.9
Medical and health sciences
15.5
126.7
157.3
299.5
1.6
Other research fields
2.8
21.2
7.1
31.0
0.3
Total
434.9
2,129.7
2,260.7
4,825.3
27.8
Source: Research and Experimental Development, Businesses, Australia, 2000-01 (8104.0).


In terms of socioeconomic objectives (table 25.8), most BERD ($4,318m or 89%) was directed towards Economic development. Of this, $1,947m (45%) was directed towards Manufacturing. About 6% was directed towards Society, 2% towards Defence and 2% towards Environment.

A similar pattern applied to human resources devoted to R&D, with 90% directed towards Economic development, 6% directed towards Society, 3% towards Defence and 1% towards Environment.


25.8 R&D RESOURCES, Businesses by socioeconomic objective - 2000-01
Type of expenditure
Capital expenditure
Labour costs
Other current expenditure
Total
Human resources
$m
$m
$m
$m
’000 person years
Defence
0.9
71.9
45.2
117.9
0.7
Economic development
Plant - production and primary products
5.3
23.0
18.5
46.8
0.4
Animal - production and primary products
2.5
18.1
34.9
55.5
0.3
Mineral resources (excl. energy)
38.3
91.2
187.7
317.2
1.1
Energy resources
5.9
27.0
70.7
103.6
0.3
Energy supply
30.8
48.1
42.9
121.8
0.6
Manufacturing
169.9
818.7
958.3
1,947.0
12.1
Construction
5.4
23.2
31.4
59.9
0.3
Transport
6.7
41.3
32.5
80.6
0.6
Information and communication services
115.8
662.3
590.6
1,368.7
7.8
Commercial services and tourism
23.4
135.7
49.8
209.0
1.3
Economic framework
0.8
5.4
1.6
7.8
0.1
Total
404.9
1,894.1
2,018.8
4,317.8
24.9
Society
Health
19.1
117.7
139.3
276.1
1.5
Education and training
0.5
5.5
3.6
9.5
0.1
Social development and community services
3.3
12.7
8.9
24.9
0.2
Total
22.8
135.9
151.7
310.4
1.8
Environment
Environmental policy frameworks & other aspects
1.5
4.3
4.7
10.6
0.1
Environmental management
4.4
20.3
37.3
62.0
0.3
Total
5.9
24.7
42.0
72.6
0.4
Non-oriented research
0.4
3.1
3.0
6.5
0.1
Total
434.9
2,129.7
2,260.7
4,825.3
27.8
Source: Research and Experimental Development, Businesses, Australia, 2000-01 (8104.0).



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