Innovation and Global Competitiveness

Learn about U.S. innovation and global competitiveness, and gain an understanding of how the United States ranks globally. Topics include U.S. research and development (R&D) innovation efforts, such as patents and trademark registration, R&D expenditures by sector (business, higher education, nonprofit, and federal and state government), and R&D-to-GDP ratios.

Using Evidence to Inform U.S. Policies on Science, Technology, and Innovation Competitiveness

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Innovation and Global Competitiveness Topics

Innovation & Production

Product & Business Process Innovation

Production and Value Added

Knowledge and Technology Intensive (KTI) Industries

Patenting and Trademark Activities

Technology Transfer Activities

Research & Development (R&D) Activity

R&D Intensity

R&D Employment

Type of R&D (basic, applied, experimental development)

R&D Publications & Articles

Business R&D

Federal Government/Agency R&D

Higher Education R&D

Clinical Trials and Medical Projects

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) R&D

State Government/Agency R&D

R&D Funding Received & Spent

R&D Funding Source

Business R&D

Higher Education R&D

Nonprofit R&D

Federal Government/Agency R&D

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) R&D

State Government/Agency R&D

R&D Capital Expenditures

R&D Cost Type

R&D Funding Agreement (contract, grant, reimbursement, etc.)

People: Workforce

Employment Status

Work Activity

Occupation

Skilled Technical Workforce

Employment Sector

Faculty Rank, Tenure Status

Income and Salary

Location

By State or Region

By Country

Colleges and Universities, People: Students/Education

Higher Education Enrollment

Colleges and Universities

Institutions

Minorities in Higher Education

People: Students/Education

Higher Education Degrees

K-12 STEM Education

Postgraduation Plans

Annual Business Survey: 2022 (Data Year 2021).

Data

Annual Business Survey: 2022 (Data Year 2021)

June 18, 2024

Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons.

Report

Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons

May 21, 2024

Production and Trade of Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industries.

Report

Production and Trade of Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industries

April 22, 2024

Data Highlights

Microbusiness domestic R&D performance increased 35% between 2018 and 2021, whereas domestic R&D costs increased 26% over this same period

$602B

Businesses spent $602 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2021—a 12.1% increase from 2020

$24B

Of the total $75 billion of R&D paid for by others across all industries in 2021, the federal government accounted for $24 billion

In constant dollar terms, business research and experimental development (R&D) performance is estimated to increase by $35.0 billion over the 2021 level

In contrast, the constant value of R&D performance for federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), nonfederal governments, and universities is estimated to decline in 2022

In the News

America's New Innovation Hotspots, Mapped

Science and Engineering Indicators data are cited on the geographical location of patenting and trademark activities in the United States.

Axios

March 28, 2024