According to Chemical and Engineering News’s (C&EN) latest annual capital and R&D spending survey, 18 US and European chemical companies stated that 2015 R&D levels were virtually the same as 2014. Total R&D spending made up 3.4% of companies’ revenues, while R&D spending for all surveyed firms increased 0.3% from $9.88 billion to $9.91 billion. Collectively, the companies’ capital spending declined 2.7% to $21.5 billion. The surveyed companies’ capital spending is forecast to decrease 10.1% in 2016. C&EN predicts that the surveyed companies’ sales will increase 2.5% this year, with planned capital expenditures of $19.3 billion.

Source: C&EN