Switzerland remains among the countries where private enterprises are most active in research and development, according to a press release by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). For 20 years, expenditure in R&D activities has increased faster than the overall economic activity in Switzerland (GDP). In 2015, the daily R&D expenditure of enterprises in Switzerland was nearly CHF 43 million. This is an all-time record.
Almost 57,000 people were actively involved in research and development work in 2015. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2012. 38% of the R&D personnel were foreigners.
With CHF 5.5 billion or 35% of the total expenditures, the Swiss pharmaceuticals industry is investing the most in R&D activities, followed by research and development (16%) and machinery (10%). The sharpest rise was seen in the ICT services industry, with an increase of 66%.
