In 2011, China’s total expenditures on science and technology (S&T) continued to maintain a stable growth. The expenditures of research and development (R&D) funds have increased steadily, the input intensity has improved.
I. Research and Experimental Development (R & D) expenditures
In 2011, national total R&D expenditures reached 868.7 billion yuan, jumped 162.44 billion yuan year-on-year, up by 23.0 percent, and with 1.84 percent of input intensity (the proportion of R&D expenditures to GDP), higher than 1.76 percent in previous year. The average R&D expenditure per capita by R&D personnel (full-time work) was 301 thousand yuan, 25 thousand yuan more than that in the previous year.
In terms of different types of activities, the expenditure on basic research hit 41.18 billion yuan, increased 26.9 percent year-on-year; the expenditure on applied research stood at 102.84 billion yuan, increased 15.1 percent; the expenditure on experimental development totaled 724.68 billion yuan, climbing 24.0 percent. Basic research, applied research and experimental development accounted for the proportion of the total expenditure on R&D funding was 4.7, 11.8 and 83.5 percent, respectively.
In terms of different executive departments, the expenditures by all types of enterprises reached 657.93 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 26.9 percent; the expenditures by research institutions subordinated to the government departments arrived at 130.67 billion yuan, grew 10.1 percent; the expenditures by universities amounted for 68.89 billion yuan, climbed 15.3 percent. The proportion of expenditures among enterprises, subordinated to the government departments, and universities was 75.7, 15.0, and 7.9 percent, respectively.
In terms of different industrial sectors*, there were 8 industries with R&D expenditure exceeded 20.0 billion yuan, the total R&D expenditure of the 8 industries took a share of 72 percent to that of all industrial enterprises above designated size. There were 11 industries (by industry, see Appendix I) with the R&D expenditures intensity (the ratio to the principal business revenue) exceeding the average level of 0.71 percent of all industrial enterprises above designated size.
In terms of different regions, there were 8 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures more than 30 billion yuan; they are Jiangsu, Guangdong, Beijing, Shandong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Liaoning, and Hubei. The total expenditures of the above 8 provinces and municipalities reached at 577.47 billion yuan, accounting for 66.5 percent to national total R&D expenditures. There were 8 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures intensity at or above national average level: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Guangdong, Shandong, and Zhejiang (by region, see Appendix II).
II. S&T funds allocated by finance
In 2011, S&T funds allocated by national finance amounted to 490.26 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 78.82 billion yuan, and rose 19.2 percent, sharing 4.49 percent to national financial expenditure.
Annotations:
Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators
Expenditures on Research and Development (R&D): refers to the actual expenditures spent in basic researches, applied researches and experimental development by the whole society within statistical year. Including personnel fees, material costs, purchasing and construction fees of fixed assets, management fees and other expenses that actually spent in R&D activities.
Basic Research refers to empirical or theoretical research aiming at obtaining new knowledge on the fundamental principles regarding phenomena or observable facts to reveal the intrinsic nature and underlying laws and to acquire new discoveries or new theories. Basic research takes no specific or designated application as the aim of the research.
Applied Research refers to creative research aiming at obtaining new knowledge on a specific objective or target. Purpose of the applied research is to identify the possible uses of results from basic research, or to explore new (fundamental) methods or new approaches.
Experiments and Development refer to systematic activities aiming at using the knowledge from basic and applied researches or from practical experience to develop new products, materials and equipment, to establish new production process, systems and services, or to make substantial improvement on the existing products, process or services.
2. Statistical Coverage:
R&D expenditure is covered all enterprises and institutions who has R&D activities in the whole society, which including industrial enterprises, research institutions subordinated to the government departments, universities, and enterprises and institutions in the industries with relatively intensive R&D activities (including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, construction, transportation, storage and postal industries, information transmission, computer services and software industry, finance, rent and business services, scientific research, technical services and geological prospecting, water conservancy, environment, and public facilities management industry, health, social security and social welfare, culture, sports and entertainment, etc.).
3. Data Collection:
Expenditure on R&D: complete survey were applied to the industrial enterprises above designated size, research institutions subordinated to the government departments, and universities, while for other enterprise and institutions, several methods were used, i.e, the complete survey, key survey and estimation according to the data from the Second National Survey on R&D Resources.
