The UK government’s expenditures on science, engineering and technology (SET) in 2013 were £10.9 billion ($17.0 billion), an increase of 9%. In constant prices, the increase was 7%. SET spending accounted for 0.64% of GDP in 2013. Research Councils spent 33% of the total, followed by civil departments and Higher Education Funding Councils, at 25% […]

The European Commission agreed this month to increase funds for InnovFin, the program supporting research projects considered to be high risk and that might otherwise not receive financial backing. The €750 million ($815 million) in funds through the European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund would be used to increase the availability of loan guarantees […]

With the first half of the year behind us, let us reflect on the state of the analytical and life science instrumentation and lab products market, how it has developed thus far and what is in store for the rest of 2015. The original January forecast (see IBO 1/15/15) was published without the benefit of […]

Scientists in Russia are concerned about how funding for scientific research will be distributed this year. According to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the government will support science with RUB 350 billion ($6.1 billion), the same amount as in 2014. Most of the funds will be awarded through a competitive process, with RUB 115 billion for […]

For fiscal 2015, the Turkish government’s preliminary R&D allocations totaled TRY 5,850 million ($2,140 million), rising 4.3%. Indirect R&D support (tax incentives, exemptions, reductions in wage taxes for R&D workers and social security contributions) were projected at TRY 1,491 million, up 9.6%. At 40%, R&D from General University Funds (GUF) for “general advancement of knowledge” […]

In the US, Europe, Australia and Canada, 2014 biotech sales totaled $123.1 billion, rising 24.3%, with each country or region accounting for 76%, 19%, 5% and 0.2% of sales, respectively. Sales of Gilead Science’s hepatitis C drugs accounted for a sizable portion of revenues in 2014; adjusting for Gilead, growth for the industry was 12%. […]

The European Commission decided last month to reduce the €2.7 billion ($2.9 billion) in budget cuts to Horizon 2020 that were previously planned to €500 million. The budgets of the European Research Council, the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and the “widening participation” program will be preserved. The EU Budget Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, indicated that budget cuts […]

Beginning in the autumn, the European Commission will receive advice on scientific policy from a panel of seven senior scientists instead of a single chief scientific advisor. This change, developed by EU Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas, is an effort to resolve conflict over who is best suited to advise the EU on potentially controversial matters, […]

An April survey of member companies of the German Association of Biotechnology Industries has revealed that the industry expects a small rise in revenues in the second half of 2015. Of the responding companies, 84% predicted improved business. More than 80% of respondents experienced increased sales since the beginning of this year, and 16% reported […]