Ungated Post | 17 Jul 2020

The relationship between public and private R&D funding

Oxford Economics was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to assess the impact of public R&D support on levels of private R&D spending in the UK and other advanced economies.

Innovation enhances productivity and drives long-run prosperity. It can create new and improved products and processes, and generate cost savings for companies and the taxpayer, as well as numerous other benefits. However, a range of market failures mean that if left entirely to the market, the amount of R&D which takes place would be considerably less than optimal. These failures provide a strong case for government intervention to support R&D across the economy.

Against this backdrop, BEIS was looking to deepen its understanding of the impact of public R&D investment on private R&D investment. It commissioned Oxford Economics to undertake independent research to update the evidence base in this field using the most recent and comprehensive datasets, and through the application of the latest analytical techniques.

For the UK, we found that each £1 of public R&D stimulates between £0.41 and £0.74 of private R&D within the same year. In the long run, the same £1 of public R&D eventually stimulates between £1.96 and £2.34 of private R&D (inclusive of the impact in the first year).

Alongside our analysis of the UK, we estimated the link between public and private R&D rates for nine other OECD countries. We found a wide variation in the impacts of public R&D on private R&D across countries. The greatest impact was found for Japan, where £1 of public support would stimulate £3.16 of public investment in the long term. In contrast, the same £1 of public support in Spain would encourage just £1.21 of private investment.

Read the report

Our economic consulting team are world leaders in quantitative economic analysis, working with clients around the globe and across sectors to build models, forecast markets and evaluate interventions using state-of-the art techniques. Lead consultants on this project were:

Oxford Economics’ team is expert at applying advanced economictools that provide valuable insights into today’s most pressing business, financial,and policy issues.

To find out more about our capabilities, contact:

EMEA
Sam Moore
+44 (0)207 803 1415
Email

Americas
Hamilton Galloway
+1 (646) 503 3068
Email

Asia
Rhianne Clark
+65 6850 0112
Email

Related Services

Post

The Economic Impact of Credit Unions

GoWest commissioned Oxford Economics an analysis of credit unions’ economic impact in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The analysis measures credit unions’ economic impacts in terms of GDP, employment, and wages.

Find Out More

Post

The Estimation Game: What do business transformations really cost?

Oxford Economics, SAP Signavio, and LeanIX partnered to conduct fresh research on business transformation and everything that these journeys entail. The report, based on a survey of 800 executives, reveals key insights into establishing clear goals, securing workforce buy-in, and managing risks, with a spotlight on how organizations can transform successfully despite common hurdles like cost overruns and data management challenges.

Find Out More

Post

The Economic Impact of the On-demand Service Industry in Indonesia

This report examines the contributions of the on-demand service industry to Indonesia’s economy, quantifying its economic impact and highlighting the socio-economic value the industry creates for gig workers and small businesses.

Find Out More