Main contents start here
Summary of Results (2007)
Results of the Survey of Research and Development
R&D Expenditure
Japan's total expenditure on R&D during fiscal year (FY) 2006 stood at 18,463 billion yen, an increase of 3.5 percent from the previous fiscal year. It is the highest figure and keeps being on the increase for seven years continuously.
The ratio of R&D spending to GDP was 3.62 percent, maintaining the highest rate in the past years.
R&D expenditure for scienific research institutes, increased 23.7 percent from the previous fiscal year while drugs and medicines increased 12.0 percent, transportation equipment increasing of 5.3 percent.
R&D expenditure for all the four priority fields to be promoted in the science and technology basic plan increased from the previous fiscal year. Among those fields, environmental science and technology field increased 9.6 percent, life sciences field increasing 8.6 percent.
R&D personnel
As of 31 March 2007, researchers numbered 826,600, up 0.8 percent from the previous year. It is the highest figure in the past years and is increasing for six consecutive years.
Female researchers numbered 108,500, and accounted for 12.4 percent, both of which are the highest in the past years.
Technology Exchange
With regard to technology transfers by business enterprises, receipts for technology exports reached 2,378 billion yen, a record figure and up by 17.3 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Payments for technology imports reached 705 billion yen, also a record figure, and up by 0.2 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Ratio of receipts for technology exports to payments for technology imports was 3.37, the highest in the past years.
