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The research & development (R&D) ecosystem encompasses a broad swath of public and private actors working in concert to convert latent STEM talent into the products and technologies of the future. The right investment in a constantly changing R&D landscape is key in ensuring economic competitiveness and national security.
Discovery: R&D Activity and Research Publications, a new report prepared by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics under the guidance of the National Science Board (NSB), quantifies these changes (see press release). The report summarizes R&D inputs such as how R&D is performed and funded across sectors and countries, as well as outputs like article publication data, to paint a full picture of R&D in a global context.
 The report finds that the United States maintained a large and expanding research and experimental R&D enterprise in 2022, representing the largest national R&D investment using internationally comparable data. When adjusted for international comparability, the United States had $923 billion in gross domestic expenditures on R&D in 2022, up 12% from 2021. China recorded the second-highest expenditures at $812 billion, up 16% from 2021.
Discovery is the first Science and Engineering Indicators 2026 thematic report covering indicators from inputs for knowledge creation to dissemination, the resulting inventions and products, and other outcomes. Future thematic reports will focus on “STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce” (education, training, and employment of scientists, engineers, and skilled technical workers) and “Translation to Impact: U.S. and Global Science, Technology, and Innovation Output” (IP trends, patent citations of scientific publications, and other measures of spillovers or technology transfer, venture capital, production output, and international trade).
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