Business enterprise research and development: 2021

Key statistics on business enterprise research & development spend in Scotland.


Key Findings

Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) expenditure in Scotland was estimated at £3,121 million in 2021, up £194 million since 2020.

In 2021, BERD spending represented 1.86% of GDP in Scotland, which was a decrease from 1.91% in 2020. However, it is important to note that GDP was particularly low in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, BERD spending represented 1.86% of GDP in Scotland, compared to 2.00% for the UK as a whole.

In 2021, Scottish BERD expenditure accounted for 6.7% of the total UK BERD.

Over the latest year, BERD spend in Scotland saw a similar rate of increase to the UK: 6.6% increase in Scotland vs 6.7% in the UK.

Contact

For enquiries about this publication please contact:

Marina Curran

Business & Innovation Statistics

Office of the Chief Economic Adviser

e-mail: marina.curran@gov.scot or industrystatistics@gov.scot

 

For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:

Office of the Chief Statistician

Telephone: 0131 244 0442

e-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot

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