Research Funding Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Questions (327)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

327. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the estimated spend on basic research nationally in a given year. [3994/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation

The estimated spend on basic research in 2015 was €530 million, accounting for 17% of the total spend on R&D nationally.

Of the €530 million spend on basic research, almost two thirds is performed in the Higher Education sector, 31% in the business sector and 4% in the Government sector.

More detailed tables are attached.

Table 1: Gross Expenditure on Research & Development (GERD) by type of research, 2009-2015, €m (Estimate )

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Basic research	568	508	468	486	527	519	530
Applied research	854	861	863	903	967	1,070	1,167
Experimental development	1,314	1,331	1,347	1,348	1,354	1,399	1,437
All types of research and development	2,736	2,700	2,678	2,737	2,848	2,988	3,134

Table 2: Share of GERD by type of research, 2009-2015

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Basic research	21%	19%	17%	18%	18%	17%	17%
Applied research	31%	32%	32%	33%	34%	36%	37%
Experimental development	48%	49%	50%	49%	48%	47%	46%
All types of research and development	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Table 3: Total expenditure on basic research by sector of performance, 2009-2015, €m, (Estimate)

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Business sector	121	106	91	134	176	169	163
Higher Education Sector	426	382	358	333	332	331	346
Government Sector	20	19	19	20	19	19	20
Total expenditure on basic research	568	508	468	486	527	519	530

Table 4: Share of basic research expenditure by sector of performance, 2009-2015

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Business sector	21%	21%	19%	27%	33%	33%	31%
Higher Education Sector	75%	75%	76%	68%	63%	64%	65%
Government Sector	4%	4%	4%	4%	4%	4%	4%
Total expenditure on basic research	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is the sum of:

- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Higher Education Sector (HERD)

- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Government Sector (GOVERD)

- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Business Sector (BERD)

The sources of the data are as follows:

- Data for the business sector- CSO, Statbank - http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=BSA07&PLanguage=0

- Data from the Higher Education Sector – Survey of R&D in the Higher Education Sector 2014/2015. The data for 2015 was estimated and was the official figure provided to Eurostat

- Data for the Government Sector – official figures provided to Eurostat in May 2017 for years 2012 to 2015). The data for 2009 to 2011 is calculated using the same proportions for types of research as in 2012. Figures also include estimate for R&D undertaken in hospitals.

The official definitions of types of research according to the Frascati Manual 2015 are detailed below:

- Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts without any particular application or use in view.

- Applied research is original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.

- Experimental research is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes (where "product" refers to a good or a service and "process" refers to the transformation of inputs to outputs and to their delivery or to organizational structures or practices.)