BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES DEVOTED TO R&D 

INDUSTRY

In 2013-14, the industry divisions of Professional, scientific and technical services and Manufacturing were the main contributors to total human resources devoted to R&D, at 22,400 (28%) and 19,954 (25%) person years of effort (PYE) respectively.

Professional, scientific and technical services (up 6,714 PYE or 43%) was the largest contributor to the overall increase in human resources devoted to R&D in 2013-14.

Some of the overall increase in human resources devoted to R&D in 2013-14 can be attributed to businesses moving to utilising persons employed by the business, rather than using contractors for R&D work. The provision of contract services to a business does not involve the supply of staff, but rather the delivery of a product, and therefore does not contribute to the businesses person years of effort estimate. 


EMPLOYMENT SIZE

For 2013-14, Businesses with 200 or more employees and businesses with 20-199 employees accounted for more than three quarters (80%) of total human resources devoted to R&D in 2013-14 (39,436 PYE or 50% and 23,841 PYE or 30% respectively). An increase in human resources was recorded across all four employment size groups, with the largest increase recorded for businesses with 20-199 employees (up 6,885 PYE or 41%).


TYPE OF RESOURCE

Researchers were again the most dominant type of human resource devoted to R&D in 2013-14, accounting for 39,065 PYE or 50% of total PYE. Compared to 2011-12, Researchers recorded the largest increase in PYE (up 6,626 PYE or 20%), and their proportional share of total PYE remained the same. 


FOREIGN OWNERSHIP

In 2013-14, wholly Australian owned businesses remained the largest contributor to total human resources devoted to R&D, at 43,822 PYE or 56% of total PYE; an increase of 3,393 PYE (8%) from 2011-12.

BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES DEVOTED TO R&D, by level of foreign ownership(a)
	HUMAN RESOURCES DEVOTED TO R&D		PROPORTION OF TOTAL HUMAN RESOURCES DEVOTED TO R&D
	2011-12	2013-14	2011-12	2013-14
	PYE	PYE	%	%
Wholly Australian owned (0%)	40 429	43 822	62.3	55.6
Greater than 0% and less than 50%	7 533	15 099	11.6	19.2
Greater than 50%	16 944	19 919	26.1	25.3
Total(b)	64 906	78 839	100.0	100.0
(a) A definition of foreign ownership was not provided in the survey and data were accepted as reported.
(b) Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between the sum of the component items and totals.