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March 12, 2024RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PERSONNEL, 2021 Following a decline of 0.7% in 2020, the number of personnel engaged in Research and Development (R&D) increased 3.4% to 4,290 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2021 in Nova Scotia.
Nationally, R&D personnel increased for a fifth consecutive year. Canada R&D personnel increased 5.8% to 298,850 FTEs with gains in eight provinces. The largest increases were in Manitoba and New Brunswick. The only declines were in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
Looking at the spread of R&D personnel across Canada, Ontario had the highest proportion at 45.7% followed by Quebec and British Columbia. Nova Scotia accounted for 1.4% of national R&D personnel in 2021.
Higher education sector continued to be the largest employer of R&D personnel in Nova Scotia accounting for 48.0% of all FTEs in 2021. Compared to 2020, the number of R&D personnel in higher education increased 4.6% to 2,060 FTEs. The increase was driven by a 5.8% gain in the number of researchers to 1,450 and a 1.7% gain in technician/support staff of 610.
The business sector was the second largest employer of Nova Scotia’s R&D personnel in 2021. The number of R&D personnel in the business sector increased 2.3% year-over-year to 1,780 FTEs in 2021. There were more researchers and fewer technical/support staff, and on-site research consultants in the businesses sector in 2021.
The federal sector R&D personnel increased 4.7% year-over-year to 450 FTEs in Nova Scotia in 2021 and accounted for 10.5% of all research and development FTEs.
Nationally, the business enterprise sector continued to be the largest employer of R&D personnel in 2021, accounting for 66.1% of all FTEs in 2021. The higher education sector was the second-largest employer of R&D personnel representing 27.7% of all FTEs.
*There was a small portion of provincial personnel from 2002 to 2004, not shown in the chart
Looking at occupational categories, researchers continued to be Nova Scotia’s largest R&D personnel category in 2021. The number of researchers in Nova Scotia increased 10.7% year-over-year to 3,000 FTEs in 2021, accounting for 69.9% of all research and development FTEs.
Technicians and support staff was the second largest R&D occupation in Nova Scotia in 2021. When compared to 2020, the number of technicians and support staff declined 6.7% to 1,260 FTEs in 2021.
On-site research consultants accounted for 0.9% of Nova Scotia’s total R&D personnel in 2021 with 40 FTEs. The number of on-site research consultants was not available for the 2000 – 2013 period.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 27-10-0023-01 Personnel engaged in research and development, by geography
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