Primary industries largest benefactor of R&D

Nineteen percent of research and development (R&D) carried out in the 2008 reference period was for the benefit of New Zealand's primary industries, Statistics New Zealand said today. The R&D 2008 Survey saw the adoption of a different breakdown for information on the purpose of research being undertaken and the areas of the economy that benefit. This change will facilitate more detailed and consistent reporting of R&D activities across New Zealand and Australia.

Total R&D expenditure for 2008 was $2.1 billion, an increase of 17 percent from the $1.8 billion reported two years previously. The business sector continues to carry out the majority, accounting for over $900 million of R&D undertaken. Other areas set to benefit from R&D being undertaken are manufacturing, health, environment, and information and communication services. Each of these purposes represented 10 percent or more of the R&D expenditure in the 2008 reference period.

While the business sector undertook the most R&D, the proportions of R&D funded by the business, government, and university sectors remained steady between 2006 and 2008. The government sector funded 43 percent, just ahead of the funding from the business sector, at 40 percent.

The Research and Development Survey 2008 was a joint survey with the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST), conducted by Statistics NZ. A full report on the results of the 2008 survey will be published in June 2009.