Swiss RTD Expenditure In 2008 At New Record

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:20:30 +0200

According to the Federal Statistical Office, private enterprise, the Swiss government and the universities spent CHF 16.3 billion on R&D activities in 2008, setting a new record in Switzerland.

This is an increase of CHF 3.2 billion (+24%) over 2004. This R&D expenditure accounts for 3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making Switzerland a country that is particularly active in the area of R&D.

The commitment of private businesses with a total of almost CHF 12 billion is the driving force behind R&D activities in Switzerland. The second significant player is the higher education sector, which spent slightly more than CHF 3.9 billion. Although the government is only of secondary importance in the execution of R&D in Switzerland, it is politically very important for the funding of this type of activity (CHF 3.2 billion).

Please refer to the report of the Swiss Federal Statistical Officefor more details.