Among the 1,000 global public companies that invested the most in R&D in fiscal 2010, R&D spending reached $550 billion. The amount is a 9.3% increase from fiscal 2009 and a 5.6% increase from fiscal 2008. Revenues for the top 1,000 companies grew 15% in FY10. The fastest growth rate in R&D spending belonged to Chinese and Indian companies, which each country increased R&D spending 38.5%. North American, European, Japanese and Rest of World firms increased R&D spending 10.5%, 5.8%, 1.8% and 13.9%, respectively. Sixty-eight percent of firms bolstered their spending in FY10, compared with 41% in FY09. R&D spending by the healthcare industry grew 9% to $10.4 billion, which matched its 9% growth in revenues. Industrial companies’ spending on R&D was $4.5 billion, and Chemicals and Energy companies contributed $2.3 billion to R&D. Four of the five firms that spent the most on R&D were pharmaceutical companies.

Source: Booz & Co.