Research and Development Found to Be Most Prevalent in a Small Number of Regions Across the Country

At least $29.3 billion in R&D performed in two geographic areas

Businesses perform a large share of their research and development in a small number of geographic areas, two of the largest being the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport area. In these two areas alone, designated as combined statistical areas (CSAs) by the Office of Management and Budget, companies performed at least $29.3 billion of R&D, according to a recent National Science Foundation report.

Data are from the 2008 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS). These new BRDIS data allow policymakers and researchers to explore patterns in R&D spending in greater geographic detail than previously available, and they provide new insight into how companies organize their R&D activities. This report highlights early findings from these data and discusses geographic patterns of business R&D within the United States.

For more information on this report, please contact Raymond Wolfe.

Please visit the NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) for more reports and other products.

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