Europe’s top 1000 corporations have increased their research and development investments by 5.3% on the previous year, according to the 2006 edition of the European Industrial R&D Scoreboard. This rise compares favourably with last year’s growth rate of 0.7% and a contraction of 2% in the 2004 scoreboard. However, growth in industrial R&D spending was even higher outside of the EU, with a 7.7% increase. Of the top 50 R&D investors, 18 were from the EU, the same number from the US, 10 from Japan and 2 from Switzerland. Among the top 10, however, only 3 are from the EU (DaimlerChrysler, Siemens and GlaxoSmithKline). Oddly, some of the world’s top investors are from the ranks of highly endangered companies (such as the no.1, Ford).

The European Industrial R&D Scoreboard is a survey carried out every year by the DG for Research and the Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Its latest edition includes a sample 2 000 companies, comprised of the 1 000 top-investing companies in the EU and outside of it. Together, they invested € 361 billion. Details of all 2 000 companies are available on the Industrial Research and Innovation website. A detailed statistical analysis of the data will be published later in the year.