2020 R&D Trends Forecast Results from the Innovation Research Interchange's Annual Survey

摘要

Since 1984, the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) has surveyed R&D and innovation leaders about their actual activity and R&D budgets lor the past year and their expectations and projections lor R&D investment levels, activities, budgets, and more for the year ahead. The survey also asks about the geographical dispersion of R&D facilities, innovation leaders' top concerns and views about macro trends, and the factors contributing to variance between actual and projected spending levels lor both the preceding and upcoming year. The result is an analysis that highlights what matters most to innovation professionals. The primary goal of the survey is to map expectations regarding spending levels for the coming year. Recent historical data gives context to this annualized snapshot and the forces driving those expectations. Respondents to the last two years' surveys demonstrated a highly optimistic outlook, indicating that they expected increased spending overall as well as increases in staffing to support this increased spending (IRI 2018, 2019). This attitude was in stark contrast to the 2017 survey, when respondents reported expecting a period of inertia for 2017 R&D spending (IRI 2017). This year's respondents showed a more cautious outlook, iorecasting level or modestly higher expenditures. This more measured outlook is influenced by concern about the economic outlook as impacted by factors such a regulatory uncertainty, trade issues, and the impact of restrictions on plastics and other materials.