Highlights

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Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD), 1998-2007 historical, 2008, 2009 intentions

1. Total research and development (R&D) spending intentions are expected to increase to $29.9 billion (current dollars) in 2009. This is an anticipated increase of 1.2% over the preliminary data collected to date for 2008 (Table 1-1).
2. While current dollar gross domestic expenditures on R&D have been increasing since 1999, constant dollar expenditures ceased increasing in 2006. In 2008, there was a 2.7% decline in spending from the previous year to $24.4 billion (constant dollars). However, it should be noted that in response to the global economic downturn, respondents to the survey components of GERD may have adjusted their R&D intentions for the last two quarters of 2008 and for all of 2009. The next release of GERD in 2010 will update these intentions and provide a clearer picture of R&D movement in constant dollars (Table 1-1).
3. The business enterprise sector remains the major performer and funder of R&D activities. In 2009 business enterprises are expected to perform $16.1 billion, over half (54%) the share of total R&D performance. Business enterprise funding in 2009 is anticipated to reach $14.2 billion (current dollars) (Table 1-2).
4. The private non-profit sector continues to be the smallest R&D performer and funder. While this sector’s share of R&D performance has remained below 1% since 1999, it has increased its share of R&D funding from 2.2% in 1999 to an expected 3.3% in 2009 (Table 1-2).
5. The higher education sector is the second largest performer, with an estimated $10.4 billion comprising over one-third (35%) of total R&D performance in 2009. Higher education is the third largest source of funding for R&D, with 2009’s intentions of $4.7 billion (Table 1-2).
6. Federal government R&D performance places third and in 2009 it is anticipated to increase 3.3% to $2.7 billion. The federal government is the second largest funding sector after business enterprise. In 2009 funding levels of this sector are expected to increase 2.2% to $5.7 billion (Table 1-2).
7. Provincial government (which includes provincial research organization) performance is expected to increase 1% to $409 million in 2009. In general governments’ fund more R&D than they perform. The provincial government funding of R&D is anticipated to increase in 2009 by 1.2% to $1.5 billion (Table 1-2).
8. In 2009 foreign sector funding is anticipated to increase 1% to $2.8 billion (Table 1-2).
9. Provincial R&D spending data are available for 2007. Starting in this publication release, data on the national capital regions (NCR) of Ontario and Quebec are included with their respective provincial data. This revision has been made historically to 1988 on Statistic Canada’s key socioeconomic database CANSIM.
10. In 2007, Ontario, which includes the NCR of Ontario, accounted for almost half (47%) of Canada’s gross domestic expenditures on research and development at $13.6 billion. Quebec, which includes the NCR of Quebec, comprised $7.8 billion, over one-quarter (27%) of national expenditures. British Columbia represented 10% of gross domestic expenditures on R&D at $2.9 billion while the neighboring Prairie provinces made up 12% or $3.4 billion. The Atlantic provinces represented 4% or $1.1 billion of total national GERD (Table 2).
11. Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia continue to lead R&D performance, with the business enterprise sector as the largest performer. In the remaining six provinces, the higher education sector is the most significant R&D performer (Table 4-1).
12. The business enterprise sector is the largest funder in most provinces, with the exception of Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island where the federal government is the lead funding sector, and Nova Scotia where the higher education sector leads (Table 4-2).