WIREDGOV

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Scotland’s Business Enterprise Research and Development spend up 10.5 per cent.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) Scotland 2013.

The main findings are:

BERD expenditure in Scotland in 2013 was £798 million, 4.3 per cent of the UK total of £18.4 billion.

Scottish expenditure increased by 10.5 per cent in real terms compared to 2012 figures. UK expenditure increased by 5.7 per cent in real terms over this period.

BERD expenditure was 0.60 per cent of Scottish GDP in 2013, the comparable figure was 1.06 per cent for the UK.

BERD expenditure in Scotland is dominated by the manufacturing sector (£467 million), followed by the services sector (£251 million) and then other sectors (£80 million), such as extractive industries.

Expenditure on R&D in manufacturing decreased by 2.4 per cent (-£12 million) in real terms between 2012 and 2013, expenditure on R&D in services increased by 38.7 per cent (£70 million) and expenditure on R&D in other sectors increased by 27.4 per cent (£17 million).

Enterprises in Scotland employed 9,966 R&D staff in 2013, up from 8,325 in 2012, an increase of 19.7 per cent. This is the highest level of R&D employment since the series began in 2001, when R&D employment stood at 7,210.

In 2013, nearly two thirds of BERD expenditure was undertaken by businesses located in just four local authority areas: Edinburgh City (23.1 per cent), West Lothian (15.6 per cent), Glasgow City (14.6 per cent) and Aberdeen City (10.1 per cent).

The figures released today were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Notes To Editors

The full statistical publication is available athttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/RD

This publication presents the most recent data for BERD in 2013 – and revised data for 2011 and 2012. Statistics are provided by product group, business size, local authority area, source of funding and country of ownership.

Further information on Business and Enterprise statistics within Scotland can be accessed at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business

Official statistics are produced in accordance with professional standards – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About