Although research and development has declined nationwide, a number of key industries amped up their innovation investments last year, suggests a new report.
The "2009 Innovation Report" released this week by specialty information firm Thomson Reuters finds that a few firms across 12 industries amped up patent activity in the 41 patent-granting authorities worldwide amid the worst business decline in decades. The computer industry, with more than 226,000 patents worldwide, led the others by far, representing about 29% of all such grants. "Among most active patenting companies in the category were Samsung, Sony/Ericsson, Canon, Toshiba, LG and Seiko Epson," says the report.
Semiconductors, telecommunications and automotive patents came next, each with 12% of the roughly 862,000 global patents analyzed in the report. About 14% of the automotive patents involved alternative energy vehicles, with Toyota filing three times more patents than its closest competitors, General Motors and Honda. In pharmaceuticals, with 8% of all the patents, educational and not-for-profits institutions were the leaders.
Battelle's R&D Magazine reported "substantial declines" in industrial research and development last year, estimated at $389.2 billion, with 44% of research managers surveyed with budgets exceeding $1 billion reporting spending decreases of 5% or more. Still, the magazine projects a slight increase in industrial R&D spending, about a 1.7% increase, in 2010.
Original Article: Research and development thriving in key industries - Science Fair - USATODAY.com
