Sweden experienced an increase in the ratio of granted patents to research and development spending (R&D) between 1989 and 1998, a period when R&D spending grew rapidly. The ratio of patents granted to R&D spending (research productivity) increased by 40% over the period, and the ratio of quality-adjusted patents to R&D exhibited an even more impressive increase of 60%. Sectors with especially high research productivity and quality-adjusted research productivity include low and medium technology manufacturing, chemicals and transportation. However, the growth in quality-adjusted research productivity was primarily generated by the high-tech pharmaceuticals and electronics industries. The service-based sectors experienced a significant increase in R&D spending over the period, but the research productivity decreased.
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