Could do better

Daimler-Chrysler invests more in research and development than any company in the world. But other European firms could do more.

A European company, Daimler-Chrysler, invests more in research and development than any company in the world.

This is one of the findings of the Second EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, compiled and presented by the European Commission.

The Scoreboard, an analysis of industrial R&D investment trends based on corporate figures, shows that R&D investment among the top 700 EU companies grew slightly in the year to 1 August 2005 contrasting with the previous year, when spending went down.

Nonetheless, a wide investment gap remains in comparison with the top 700 companies outside the EU.

Based on corporate information available up to 1 August of this year, the Scoreboard shows a turnaround in the R&D investment growth rate for EU companies, from a decline last year of 2% to an increase this year of 0.7%.

It also shows that top EU companies are as ready to invest in R&D as their competitors from outside the EU: nine of the top 25 worldwide investors are based in the EU, and 45% of the top 700 companies in the EU increased their R&D investment by more than 5% this year.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox