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Summary of Results (2008)
Results of the Survey of Research and Development
R&D Expenditure
Japan's total expenditure on R&D during fiscal year (FY) 2007 stood at 18,944 billion yen, an increase of 2.6 percent from the previous fiscal year. It is the highest figure and keeps being on the increase for eight years continuously.
Expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP was 3.67 percent, maintaining the highest rate in the past years.
R&D expenditure for transportation equipment increased 8.0 percent from the previous fiscal year while information and communication electronics equipment increased 7.6 percent, drugs and medicines increasing of 6.8 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, nanotechnology and materials field increased 12.5 percent, environmental science and technology field increasing 9.9 percent.
R&D personnel
As of 31 March 2008, researchers numbered 827,300, up 0.1 percent from the previous year. It is the highest figure in the past years and is increasing for seven consecutive years.
Female researchers numbered 114,900, and accounted for 13.0 percent, both of which are the highest in the past years.
Technology Balance of Payments
With regard to technology balance of payments by business enterprises, receipts for technology exports reached 2,482 billion yen, a record figure and up by 4.4 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Payments for technology imports reached 711 billion yen, also a record figure, and up by 0.7 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Ratio of receipts for technology exports to payments for technology imports was 3.49, the highest in the past years.
