Engineering & Research Industry Market Research

Competitive Intelligence, Business Analysis, Forecasts, Market Size, Trends, Companies, Statistics

Available Data Services: Custom Research Projects, Database Subsription or PDF eBooks

Engineering, Research & Development OVERVIEW

In industrialized nations, R&D investment has risen from an average of about 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980 to about 2.0% today (in terms of current US dollars).  Nothing could better illustrate the world’s vital need for continual massive investments in R&D than the Coronavirus pandemic that swept across the world.  An intense, global effort resulted in the availability of effective vaccines and therapies in record time—a few months compared to what typically would take a few years.
Meanwhile, vast numbers of university students around the globe are enrolled in engineering and scientific disciplines—many of them dreaming about potential rewards if their future research efforts become commercialized.  Global research collaboration (between companies and between companies and universities) is booming, as is patenting.  In fact, it is difficult for patent authorities in the U.S. and elsewhere to keep up with demand.  Globalization, immigration and cross-national collaboration have such a dramatic effect on research and design that nearly one-half of all patents granted in America list at least one non-U.S. citizen as a co-inventor.  Major U.S. universities, like the University of Texas and the University of Wisconsin, as well as universities in such nations as China, Korea and Singapore, are eager to patent their inventions and reap the benefits of commercialized research.  Top research universities earn millions of dollars each in yearly royalties on their patents.
The “2022 Global R&D Funding Forecast,” published by the Industrial Research Institute and R&D Magazine, estimates global spending on research and development at $2.48 trillion for 2022, on a PPP or “purchasing power parity” basis.  “PPP” means that the amounts are adjusted to account for the difference in the cost of living from nation to nation, relative to the United States.  For example, PPP analysis finds that the cost of buying a given standard of living is considerably lower in China or India than it is in the U.S.  Thus, $1 spent in China or India has more purchasing power than $1 spent in America.
The U.S. continues to lead the world in terms of total investment in research and development, with forecast investments of $685 billion for 2022.  However, it ranks behind many other industrialized nations in terms of R&D as a percent of GDP.
Massive research outlays and grants are made by the U.S. federal government.  The proposed federal research budget for fiscal 2022 was $156.0 billion (up from $140.1 estimated for the previous year).  Substantial federal research dollars are flowing into such areas as advanced batteries, electronic patient health records, cancer research, nanotechnology, robotics, biotechnology, defense and renewable energy.  Government research grants feed projects at universities throughout the U.S. and at many types of private corporations.  The United States was expected to account for about 34% of total global R&D in 2022, compared to 27% for China, 9% for Japan and 7% for Germany. 
Many of the 50 U.S. states are also active in funding local research efforts, in the interest of boosting their statewide economies and their universities.  This generates significant competition between tech-savvy states for leading-edge research efforts, at both corporate and university facilities.
The federal government of the U.S. not only funds research, but also engineering projects.  This will be particularly true for 2023 and several years thereafter due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021, with potential funding of $1.2 trillion over the mid-term.  The act makes funds available for such areas as roads, bridges, public transportation, ports, airports, water and energy.  While much of the money will go to construction, it will also fund very significant amounts of engineering, and many engineering/design firms will benefit greatly.  In fact, the funding provided by this act is so massive that it may create a historic opportunity for some companies.
Meanwhile, U.S. corporations continue to fund massive engineering projects and research budgets of their own.  Top research investors among U.S. companies include Amazon, Alphabet (parent company of Google), Merck & Co., Pfizer, Microsoft, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Intel.
Engineering, science and research and development provide large numbers of well-paying jobs in America and around the world.  Officially, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates 1.61 million people working in architectural and engineering services as of February 2022.  As of February 2022, BLS categorizes 893,500 Americans as employed in scientific research and development positions.
Corporations know that they must invest in R&D in order to stay competitive, but in many cases their R&D strategies are evolving.  One change is the way in which funding is allocated.  Strategies are shifting to include more alliances and joint ventures with other companies; more subsidiary spin-offs based on established technologies; more contracts and cooperative efforts with federal labs and agencies; and higher grants and projects of greater scope in partnership with universities.  Companies are looking for ways to leverage their R&D investments in order to get more return on costs while gaining competitive advantage on a global scale.
Historically, corporate America’s R&D dollars were spent at labs within the bounds of the U.S., but today, more and more projects are going to company-owned or outsourced labs overseas.  Due to relatively low costs and large talent pools (including large numbers of new graduates with engineering and scientific degrees), the nations of Eastern Europe, China and India in particular have been attracting more of the total research dollars invested by major companies.  
Other global hot beds of research include Israel, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea. 
Certain countries have the lion’s share of the world’s R&D activity.  In North America, corporations with the largest R&D budgets are nearly all headquartered in the U.S. and Canada; in Europe the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden and Italy are regional leaders; and in the Asia-Pacific the nations of China, India, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore lead the way.  Korean government leaders are focused on increasing basic research capabilities and basic sciences, particularly at research-oriented universities. Technical education is emphasized in India for a select group of students, particularly at its famous Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses.
Technology-oriented Israel invests a very high 5+ percent of GDP in research and development, and that nation has created one of the world’s most successful high-tech industries.  Finland, Denmark and Sweden also spend very high ratios of their domestic economies on R&D.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in both engineering and research and development.  In engineering, AI has the potential to accelerate both the design and the virtual testing of structures and systems.  In R&D, one of the most promising uses for AI lies in identifying and testing chemical compounds that have potential to become new drug therapies—possibly cutting years and millions of dollars from the process.

WE PROFILE HUNDREDS OF TOP COMPANIES:

See All

PLUNKETT PROVIDES IN-DEPTH STATISTICS TABLES COVERING THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRY TOPICS:

Top Companies Profiled

The following is a partial listing for this industry. As a subscriber, you will have access to the leading companies and top growth companies. This includes publicly-held, private, subsidiary and joint venture companies, on a global basis as well as in the U.S.


Hundreds of Top Companies Profiled, Including:

PLUNKETT PROVIDES UNIQUE ANALYSIS OF THE FOLLOWING TRENDS THAT ARE DRIVING THIS INDUSTRY:

Key Findings:

  • Plunkett Research analyzes the top trends changing the industry, and provides in-depth industry statistics. In addition, this publication profiles the top 500 companies in the Engineering & Research industry.

Available Formats:

  • Printed Almanac: 978-1-62831-616-2 (Available Now)
  • E-book: ISBN 978-1-62831-935-4 (Available Now)
  • Plunkett Research Online (Subscribers)

Key Features Include:

  • Industry trends analysis, market data and competitive intelligence
  • Market forecasts and Industry Statistics
  • Industry Associations and Professional Societies List
  • In-Depth Profiles of hundreds of leading companies
  • Industry Glossary

Pages: 672

Statistical Tables Provided: 21

Companies Profiled: 495

Geographic Focus: Global

Price: $379.99

Key Questions Answered Include:

  • How is the industry evolving?
  • How is the industry being shaped by new technologies?
  • How is demand growing in emerging markets and mature economies?
  • What is the size of the market now and in the future?
  • What are the financial results of the leading companies?
  • What are the names and titles of top executives?
  • What are the top companies and what are their revenues?

This feature-rich book covers competitive intelligence, market research and business analysis—everything you need to know about the engineering & research business including:

  1. Introduction to the Engineering & Research Industry
  2. A Short History of U.S. Industrial Research & Development
  3. The Coronavirus’ Effect on the Engineering & Research Industry
  4. R&D Expands in Chinese Research Parks/Patent Filings Soar
  5. Outsourcing and Offshoring of Research, Development and Engineering Grow Along With Globalization
  6. Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) Adds Value to Contract Electronics Manufacturing
  7. The State of the Biotechnology Industry Today
  8. From Korea to India to Singapore to China, Nations Compete Fiercely in Biotech

Development

  1. Globalization and Worldwide Collaboration Fuel the Research Efforts of Major Corporations
  2. Number of Patent Applications Remains High/Patent Laws Change
  3. 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing), Rapid Prototyping and Computer Aided Design
  4. Industrial Robots and Factory Automation Advance Through Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  5. Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Power Research Continues/Fuel Cell Cars Enter Market
  6. Electric Cars and Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) to See Massive New Investments by Auto Makers
  7. Major Research and Advancements in Lithium Batteries/Tesla and Panasonic Operate the Gigafactory
  8. The Future: Pervasive Computing and Complete Mobility Will Be Standard
  9. Supercomputing Hits 1,102 Petaflops/IBM’s Watson Expands Commercial Applications for Big Data
  10. Superconductivity Provides Advanced Electricity Distribution Technology
  11. Private, Reusable Rockets Launch Commercial Satellites and Serve Both the U.S. Military

& NASA

  1. Technology Discussion—Synthetic Biology
  2. The Future of Transportation and Supply Chains: Massive Investments in Infrastructure, Mobility Services and Hyperloop
  3. HPTP Thermoplastics, Thermoset and Engineered Plastics Enable Advanced Products/Nanocomposites Offer the Ultimate in Advanced Materials
  4. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Learning and Machine Learning Advance into Commercial Applications, Including Health Care and Robotics

Engineering & Research Industry Statistics

  1. Engineering & Research Industry Statistics and Market Size Overview
  2. Quarterly Engineering & Research Industry Revenues, U.S.: 2021
  3. Engineering & Scientific Research & Development Services: Estimated Sources of Revenue, U.S.: 2016-2020
  4. Federal R&D Funding by Character of Work and Facilities and Equipment, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2021-2023
  5. Federal R&D Budget & Distribution by Agency, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2021-2023
  6. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for National Defense, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2021-2023
  7. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Health and Human Services, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2019-2021
  8. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Space Flight, Research & Supporting Activities, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2020-2022
  9. NASA Budget Appropriations & Projections: 2020-2026
  10. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Basic Research, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2019-2021
  11. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Agriculture, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2019-2021
  12. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Transportation, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2019-2021
  13. Federal R&D & R&D Plant Funding for Energy, U.S.: Fiscal Years 2019-2021
  14. U.S. Department of Energy Funding for Science & Energy Programs: 2021-2023
  15. U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Budget: Fiscal Years 2020-2022
  16. Research Funding for Biological Sciences, U.S. National Science Foundation: Fiscal Years 2021-2023
  17. Research Funding for Engineering, U.S. National Science Foundation: Fiscal Years 2021-2023
  18. Top 30 U.S. Patent Recipient Organizations: 2021
  19. The U.S. Drug Discovery & Approval Process
  20. Employment in Engineering Occupations by Business Type, U.S.: 2018-February 2022
  21. Employment in Life & Physical Science Occupations by Business Type, U.S.: May 2021

Companies Mentioned Include:

  • Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabian Oil Company)
  • Apple Inc
  • China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd
  • China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC)
  • Toyota Motor Corporation
  • Microsoft Corporation
  • China Railway Construction Company Limited (CRCC)
  • SAIC Motor Corporation Limited
  • Honda Motor Co Ltd
  • Mitsubishi Corporation

Organizations that have used our research and products

CUSTOM MARKET RESEARCH

We have deep experience in conducting market research projects and surveys (both B2B and B2C) for the world’s leading organizations. Competitive intel, market sizing, product opportunities validation, technologies analysis, economic and market forecasts. Both domestic and global markets—any industry, any geography.
More details

INDUSTRIES WE COVER

We cover all leading industry sectors, from retailing, healthcare and banking, to logistics, robotics/automation, digital technologies, wireless, travel and aerospace. Our proprietary data and reports keep you on the cutting edge of your industry of specific interest. Great for strategic, marketing, investment and consulting professionals.lib
More details

INDUSTRY ANALYTICS REPORTS

Industry-specific operating benchmarks, industry financial statement averages, revenue forecasts, market size, statistics, company ranks and comparisons. Choose from 550+ Industries. Updated regularly. Instant download. Our unique reports save you countless hours of research time and effort. Used by the world’s top consulting, strategy and investment pros.
More details

CORPORATE BENCHMARKS REPORTS

Company-specific operating benchmarks (current and historical), benchmarked against industry-peers’ averages. Revenue forecasts, market size, statistics, company ranks and comparisons. Choose from 4000+ companies. Updated regularly. Instant download. Our unique reports save you countless hours of research time and effort. Used by the world’s top consulting, strategy and investment pros.
More details

Related Products

Outsourcing & Offshoring Industry Market Research

Outsourcing was an approximately $575 billion global industry in 2020 (according to Plunkett Research estimates), with significant emphasis on three broad areas:  1) logistics, sourcing and distribution services; 2) information technology services, including the creation of software and the management of computer centers; and 3) business process outsourcing (BPO) areas…
Outsourcing & Offshoring Industry Market Research

Engineering & Research Industry Market Research

In industrialized nations, R&D investment has risen from an average of about 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980 to about 2.0% today (in terms of current US dollars).  Nothing could better illustrate the world’s vital need for continual massive investments in R&D than the Coronavirus pandemic that swept…
Engineering & Research Industry Market Research

Chemicals, Coatings & Plastics Industry Market Research

The businesses of chemicals, coatings and plastics are closely linked, and those sectors, in turn, are closely linked to the oil and gas industry.  Plastics comprise a branch of petrochemicals—that is, chemicals refined from petroleum and natural gas.  (Although a small amount of bioplastics is now being produced from plants…
Chemicals, Coatings & Plastics Industry Market Research

Subscribe to Database:

All industries
Add To Cart

Multi-User Online, Enterprise-Wide (Library or Corporate)

Request a Quote and Free Trial

eBook or Book:

This industry onlyPublication date: Jun 2022
ISBN-13: 978-1-62831-935-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-62831-616-2
Custom Research Projects

What data challenge can we help you solve today?