Today, Statistics Canada released Industrial Research and Development characteristics and intentions (2016) with new data on expected R&D spending in 2016 and characteristics of provincial industrial R&D spending for 2014. A redesign of the Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry has led to results from 2014 not being directly comparable to earlier data.
 
In Canada, research and development(R&D) expenditures are expected to decline from $18.5 billion in 2014 to $17.9 billion in 2015 and $17.7 billion in 2016. Over 80 per cent of in-house business R&D is self-funded. The manufacturing sector has the largest R&D expenditures accounting for 33 per cent. Services-producing industries accounted for 55 per cent of R&D expenditures in 2014 with the largest subsectors being scientific research and development services, computer systems design and related services, software publishers, and machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers.



Nova Scotia business enterprise research and development intramural expenditures were $139 million in 2014 with $133 million spent on current expenditures and $6 million on capital expenses. Information and communication technology (ICT) sector R&D expenditures was $43 million in Nova Scotia in 2014. As a share of GDP, business R&D expenditures in Nova Scotia were 0.35 per cent. The largest share of expenditures occurred in Quebec and Ontario with the presence of R&D performing manufacturers and technology-based service firms in these provinces.




There were 149,943 business research and development personnel in Canada in 2014. Nova Scotia accounted for 1 per cent or 1,534 of business R&D personnel. The top industry for employment in Nova Scotia for R&D personnel were in professional, scientific and technical services, computer and electric product manufacturing and machinery manufacturing.

Source: Industrial Research and Development: Intentions