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Are similar trends apparent in other parts of the world? Please indicate which country/region you are referring to.
Results
(122 Answers)
Answer Explanations
- Maybeuser-287804I am not sure about other parts of the world but I believe in Germany research is still funded mainly by the government.
- Yesuser-753537in europe I see similar trends, although I think the % industry funding is not that high (yet)?
- Nouser-362477The more socialistic the country is, the greater the government funds research. This isn't necessarily a positive thing.
- Maybeuser-190025I think there is a political shift for conservative policies that lowers the public financing of scientific research and development, especially around European countries.
- Yesuser-431541Egypt
- Maybeuser-628049This is a good question, and I honestly haven't looked into any statistics or data. I'm not from a background with recent ties to another culture or country. I do have a wonderful international circle of friends and coworkers who could answer this question for their own respective countries of origin. But I definitely want to see a comparative analysis now that you mention it.
- Yesuser-577239For example in Italy
- Yesuser-996965In Pakistan also getting funds is a difficult task.
- Nouser-124276India has nearly higher opportunity for federal research.
- Yesuser-114799Across the world including Europe, China and Japan private sector research and development funding displays increasing trends. The European Union maintains strong Horizon funding while corporate investment increases notably in pharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence. In China government funds lead research initiatives, yet tech companies such as Huawei and Tencent are assuming an expanding part in this landscape. The electronics and automotive sectors in Japan demonstrate comparable industry-driven patterns. Global market-driven innovation pressures cause funding shifts between public and private sectors which differ by country.
- Maybeuser-1163main European countries
- Maybeuser-601750India
- Yesuser-109201europe
- Nouser-962029Our biggest economic competitor, China, has experienced recent increases in federal contributions to R&D when compared to industry.
- Yesuser-676080Yes, similar R&D funding declines or stagnation are seen in parts of Europe (e.g., UK austerity cuts) and Japan (aging population, budget constraints)
- Yesuser-481465In France their is the same trend
- Yesuser-113837ITaly/Europe
- Yesuser-627640Italy
- Nouser-547538WE have more federal funding than industry. Industry funding is biased
- Maybeuser-154521Need to see data.
- Yesuser-518140Asia
- Nouser-594363UK
- Maybeuser-700081Asia
- Yesuser-27709Argentina
- Nouser-931010Nigeria
- Nouser-557043Europe is currently experiencing a VC funding issue but government R&D funding has not chanbged significantly from prior years.
- Yesuser-717296Yes, similar trends are visible globally, particularly in developed nations where private R&D is increasing. However, the government's role remains essential in supporting fundamental science, guiding national priorities, and ensuring equitable innovation.
- Yesuser-307024All continents similar trends. These include EU, Asia Pacific, middle-east, Latin America, and Australia.
- Yesuser-683654Particularly in countries like Japan and Germany.
- Maybeuser-153764unknown
- Yesuser-816461Japan has seen a slow but noticeable shift toward industry-funded R&D, especially in engineering, materials science, and pharmaceuticals. However, government remains a major player in basic science, through agencies like JST and AMED. Trend: Gradual diversification of funding sources, with continued public support. Impact: Academic research is increasingly tied to industrial competitiveness, but basic research infrastructure is still intact.
- Maybeuser-84037Yes but to a lesser extent. However, this will likely increase.
- Yesuser-327055Application-oriented research remains universal and sustainable.
- Maybeuser-807238I am not aware of countries other than the USA in which the industry plays the biggest role in funding Research & Development or supports grants for research on emerging topics.
- Yesuser-129134Europe countries and China, japan and south korea
- Maybeuser-805249Because the SDG may play a role especially in Africa
- Yesuser-80130
- European Union: There is an increase in research funding from the private sector, especially in technology and pharmaceuticals, accompanied by a relative decline in government funding for basic research.
- China: The government invests heavily, but there is also a growing trend toward public-private partnerships, which promotes economically driven research.
- India: There is increasing reliance on industrial funding in fields such as information technology and pharmaceuticals, with relatively weak support for social and environmental research.
- Maybeuser-534157I dont really know for other parts of the world, but for Mexico, this practices are lacking, and sadly the whole weight of research are backed up by the state.
- Yesuser-132935China bec use Rapid growth in both public and private R&D funding, with industry now contributing over 75% of R&D expenditure.
- Nouser-874314India
- Yesuser-725082India is trying to get 70% funding from Industry, but there are not many industries or private funding that cater to basic research.
- Yesuser-983537In Israel, research is driven by applications to a greater degree than in the US.
- Yesuser-629372Canada
- Maybeuser-732675I believe it happens in other places, but I don't have an example.
- Nouser-92676I think European research funding is still rather stable, of course may vary from country to country.
- Yesuser-180052In general, Asian counriries such as China, Ja[pan and India are focusing on more applied scientific research and less on basic. Western eurpean counries are cutting basic resarch and having difficult time to maintataing their tradtional laed. .
- Maybeuser-97194Not sure, but many countries are leaning towards support from industry for research activities.
- Nouser-365674China is invective heavily in basic research.
- Nouser-102528In Egypt most of the funds are governmental based.
- Yesuser-749165Argentina
- Yesuser-513377Like the United States, Japan relies heavily on business-funded research and development, with the private sector providing a larger share of total R&D spending compared to the European Union.
- Nouser-606148China is vigorously funding research on learning technologies, and there is some support from EU sources. The trend is apparent, simply by looking at the locations of authors publishing in the major research journals in learning science-related topics.
- Maybeuser-360801In Spain, the public sector mainly through the National Health System (SNS), public hospitals, and research institutes still plays a central role in funding and conducting biomedical research. Public institutions are key drivers of clinical research, epidemiological studies, and translational medicine, often in collaboration with universities.That said, there has been a gradual increase in private sector involvement, especially from pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms, which now fund a growing share of clinical trials and applied medical research. However, this trend is not as pronounced as in the U.S., due to the strong influence of the publicly funded healthcare system.The sustainability of this balance depends on continued public investment. If public R&D funding stagnates or declines, there is a risk that research priorities will shift disproportionately toward commercial interests, potentially neglecting areas like preventive medicine, rare diseases, or health equity domains typically supported by public institutions.
- Maybeuser-431578In EU, and in all participant countries separately, most of the funding is more and more focused towards certain narrow topics that are considered beneficial in a short run or to topics that are related to climate crisis. Quite often there are also somewhat political interests behind, when the topics are selected. There is a lack of fundamental academic research, or research that serves the generic public. There is constant need for active researchers with more freedom with the topics.
- Yesuser-927015India
- Yesuser-477986Yes, similar trends are also seen in India, where private industry is slowly increasing its role in R&D funding, though government still provides the majority of support. In recent years, Indian companies, especially in sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, and engineering, have started investing more in research to stay competitive. However, like in the U.S., most private R&D in India is focused on applied or product-based research, not on basic science. This creates a risk that important areas like agriculture, climate change, public health, and fundamental science may not get enough attention if government support decreases. Also, many Indian universities and public institutions depend on government funding, and if this is reduced, it can affect long-term scientific progress and innovation. So, while private investment is welcome, the Indian government should continue to invest strongly in basic research and also promote public–private partnerships to maintain a healthy and balanced R&D ecosystem.
- Yesuser-434733Egypt
- Yesuser-220337In Europe is the same trend.
- Yesuser-580426In asian countries too, now R&D is mostly funded by the private players.
- Yesuser-3318461. European Union (EU)
- Trend: Moderate shift toward industry funding, but public funding still plays a strong role, especially in basic research and societal challenges (e.g., climate, health).
- Stats: Industry funds ~56% of total R&D; government and higher education fund the rest.
- Example: Germany and Sweden have strong private R&D sectors (especially in manufacturing and engineering), while countries like France and Italy still rely heavily on public research institutions.
- Implications: The EU aims to balance the trend through Horizon Europe, promoting collaboration between academia, government, and industry with a strong focus on public-interest research.
2. China
- Trend: Rapid increase in industry-led R&D, now accounting for over 75% of total R&D investment.
- Drivers: Strong state support for industrial innovation, especially in semiconductors, AI, biotech, and green energy.
- Implications:
- Government remains heavily involved via state-owned enterprises and strategic funding.
- The line between “public” and “private” funding is often blurred.
- China’s model is state-capitalist, aiming for tech self-sufficiency and global leadership, with high R&D intensity but strong central control.
- Government remains heavily involved via state-owned enterprises and strategic funding.
3. Japan and South Korea
- Trend: Long-standing dominance of industry-funded R&D (~75–80%).
- Focus: Applied R&D in electronics, automobiles, robotics, and materials science.
- Implications:
- Innovation is often tightly linked to export-driven industrial strategies.
- Government supports basic research through national institutes (e.g., RIKEN in Japan), but the emphasis is still on commercial outcomes.
- Risk of underinvestment in disruptive, long-horizon technologies.
- Innovation is often tightly linked to export-driven industrial strategies.
4. India
- Trend: Government remains the primary R&D funder, especially in defense, space (ISRO), and public health.
- Industry funding is growing, but from a small base (~40% of total R&D).
- Challenges: Limited private sector involvement due to risk aversion, lack of incentives, and weak academia-industry collaboration.
- Implications:
- To emulate innovation-driven economies, India must enhance private investment in R&D while reforming regulatory and funding structures.
- To emulate innovation-driven economies, India must enhance private investment in R&D while reforming regulatory and funding structures.
5. Africa (e.g., South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria)
- Trend: Heavy reliance on government and foreign aid for R&D, with very limited private sector investment.
- Barriers: Low R&D intensity (<1% of GDP), lack of infrastructure, limited access to venture capital.
- Implications:
- Need for policies that foster innovation ecosystems and incentivize private R&D, particularly in agriculture, health, and renewable energy.
- Need for policies that foster innovation ecosystems and incentivize private R&D, particularly in agriculture, health, and renewable energy.
- Trend: Moderate shift toward industry funding, but public funding still plays a strong role, especially in basic research and societal challenges (e.g., climate, health).
- Yesuser-505512Many British Commonwealth countries have seen a similar trend, though not as dramatic.
- Yesuser-321661India
- Yesuser-894724In Europe, the government balanced the funding by incorporating the funds from federal and industrial sources. Societies like, Fraunhofer Society are creating a more sustainable partnership model between the government and industries.
- Maybeuser-169864There is a tendency among several governments around the world (Trump, Milei, Bolsonaro, etc.) to undermine publicly funded scientific research.
- Yesuser-464935US and India
- Yesuser-48054Europe
- Yesuser-411361Similar trend in the UK. However the R&D spend is much less also.
- Yesuser-624651Yes similar trends can be seen in parts of Europe and Asia where private sector investment in research has grown significantly while government funding has slowed this shift is driven by the push for market oriented innovation and competition but it also raises concerns about reduced focus on fundamental research that may not have immediate commercial value
- Yesuser-158538In Nigeria, industry and organisational fundings outweigh that of government
- Yesuser-368067Yes, similar trends are evident in several parts of the world, though the degree varies by country. For example, in China, industry R&D spending has surged significantly in recent decades, now accounting for over 75% of total R&D expenditures—surpassing even the U.S. in some metrics. This reflects China's push for innovation-led growth, particularly in technology and manufacturing. In the European Union, industry also plays a major role in R&D, though many EU countries still maintain strong public investment, especially in basic science and collaborative research through frameworks like Horizon Europe. Countries like Germany strike a notable balance, with robust government support alongside powerful industry involvement, especially in engineering and automotive sectors. Overall, the global trend shows increasing private sector involvement in R&D, but the balance between government and industry funding depends heavily on national priorities, economic structure, and long-term innovation strategies.
- Maybeuser-483388I don't know. I know that Asian governments, such as China and Singapore, are actively supporting both fundamental and functional research.
- Yesuser-13133Similar trends can be seen in several high-income countries, though to different extents:
Japan and South Korea: As in the U.S., both have high industry R&D shares (75–80%). Government funding is more focused on infrastructure and basic science, with industry driving applied research.
European Union (EU): While public funding remains strong, countries like Germany and the UK have seen growing private-sector investment, most prominently in biotech, AI, and pharmaceuticals. However, the EU has aggressive public science programs (e.g., Horizon Europe) to offset.
China: Displays a hybrid model—state-led strategic investment is accompanied by growing private R&D, especially in technology sectors. China's government remains instrumental in the funding of basic and strategic science.
Overall, while the U.S. leads in industry-driven funding, other domains show partial convergence—but often with more deliberate public-sector safeguards to support fundamental research.