Cover of higher education & research in France, facts and figures

📄 Source:MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES.

 Coverage:Whole of France.

The data presented here are taken from the annual survey of 11,000 firms on the resources they devote to R&D. Since 2000, this survey has asked firms what proportion (%) of their intramural R&D expenditure they devote to new materials and nanotechnology.

A research branch is a branch of economic activity that benefits from R&D. 32 categories are described here, based on the second version of the French classification of activities (NAF Rev. 2).

A field of research is a multidisciplinary area of R&D that may be carried out in several different research branches. The R&D carried out by a particular firm may fall within several fields of research. The intramural R&D expenditure incurred by that firm is therefore assigned to the field of research in question, according to the percentage of expenditure declared by firms for each field.

This analysis focuses on two fields:

- new materials, whether they are new for the market or for the business.

- nanotechnology, which covers all technologies that make it possible to manipulate, study or use very small structures and systems of less than 100 nanometres.

A firm is said to be active in one of these fields if it devotes a proportion of its intramural R&D expenditure to it.

A business is said to be dedicated in one of these fields if it devotes more than 75% of its intramural R&D expenditure to it.

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42 business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology

In 2014, 20% of firms in France that carried out R&D in-house incurred R&D expenditure in the fields of new materials or nanotechnology. Overall research expenditure in these two fields was €3.6 billion in 2014, or 11.7% of total BERD.

In 2014, 21% of firms in France that carried out R&D in-house incurred R&D expenditure in the fields of new materials or nanotechnology. Overall research expenditure in these two fields was €3.6 billion in 2014, or 11.7% of total BERD (business enterprise intramural expenditure on R&D). This amount is stable compared to 2013 when it stood at €3.5 billion, after a strong increase in previous years.

In 2014, 18% of R&D firms were involved in research into new materials (table 42.01). The total R&D expenditure on new materials was €2.8 billion for 2014, accounting for a quarter of all intramural business enterprise expenditure on R&D (BERD). When expenditure is broken down by industrial branch, the automotive industry (15% of all R&D expenditure devoted to this field) is now ahead of the chemical (14%) (chart 42.02).

In 2014, 3.2% of R&D firms were involved in research into nanotechnology totalling €800 million, or 2.6% of all BERD (chart 42.02).

In 2014, three fifth of expenditure on nanotechnology research (60%) was devoted to the ‘Manufacture of electronic components and boards, computers and peripheral equipment’ research branch. This share rises sharply over the last year: it was only 55% in 2013.

There are relatively few small businesses active in the field of new materials: in 2014, only 30% had less than 20 employees, compared to 49% for all R&D companies (chart 42.03). Furthermore, 52% of companies active in new materials had at least 50 employees, compared to 32% of all R&D companies and 39% of companies active in nanotechnology

Comparatively, in nanotechnology, more small businesses spend money on R&D. In 2014, 61% of companies active in R&D had fewer than 50 employees. The proportion of companies in this personnel band was significantly the same in France as in South Korea (60%) and Finland (59% in 2013). By contrast, this category was more strongly represented in Germany, where 75% of companies active in nanotechnology had fewer than 50 employees (2012 data) and the United States (69%).

Companies dedicated to these two fields are, on average, smaller structures than R&D companies as a whole (220 people for companies dedicated to new materials and 60 people for companies dedicated to nanotechnology, compared to 240 people for all R&D companies).

Companies dedicated to new materials represented around 8% of all R&D companies. They devoted nearly all their BERD, i.e. €1.6 billion in 2014, to new materials. Companies dedicated to nanotechnology represented very few of all R&D companies (0.9%). They also devoted nearly all their BERD, i.e. a little under €0.2 billion in 2014, to nanotechnology.

 Coverage:Whole of France.

How to cite this paper :

MONTENACHE Stéphane. Business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology. In: Higher education & research in France, facts and figures - 49 indicators [online]. KABLA-LANGLOIS Isabelle (dir.). Paris: Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, 2017. 10th ed. Chapter 42 [Accessed 03/28/2024]. ISBN 978-2-11-152033-2. https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/EESR10EN_R_42-business_r_d_in_new_materials_and_nanotechnology-ILL_03.php

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The data presented here are taken from the annual survey of 11,000 firms on the resources they devote to R&D. Since 2000, this survey has asked firms what proportion (%) of their intramural R&D expenditure they devote to new materials and nanotechnology.

A research branch is a branch of economic activity that benefits from R&D. 32 categories are described here, based on the second version of the French classification of activities (NAF Rev. 2).

A field of research is a multidisciplinary area of R&D that may be carried out in several different research branches. The R&D carried out by a particular firm may fall within several fields of research. The intramural R&D expenditure incurred by that firm is therefore assigned to the field of research in question, according to the percentage of expenditure declared by firms for each field.

This analysis focuses on two fields:

- new materials, whether they are new for the market or for the business.

- nanotechnology, which covers all technologies that make it possible to manipulate, study or use very small structures and systems of less than 100 nanometres.

A firm is said to be active in one of these fields if it devotes a proportion of its intramural R&D expenditure to it.

A business is said to be dedicated in one of these fields if it devotes more than 75% of its intramural R&D expenditure to it.

 

Key figures


Share of business enterprises specialising in nanotechnology
0.9%
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: as a % of firms active in R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Share of business enterprises working in nanotechnology
3.2%
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: as a % of firms active in R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D in new materials
2.8 bn
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: as a % of firms active in R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Share of business enterprises specialising in new materials
8.0%
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: as a % of firms active in R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
  See more key figures  
Share of business enterprises working in new materials
18.2%
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: as a % of firms active in R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D in nanotechnology
800 M
 
2014
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES

42.01 Data on business R&D in the fields of new materials and nanotechnology in 2014

 
All firms New materials Nanotechnology
Active firms Dedicated firms Active firms Dedicated firms
% of all firms carrying out R&D (number of firms) 100 18.2 8.0 3.2 0.9
% of all firms carrying out R&D (number of employees - headcount) 100.0 42.0 7.3 11.5 0.2
Average number of employees (per firm) 240 550 220 860 60
GERD
Total (€M) 31,100 11,400 1,700 4,200 200
GERD devoted to R&D in these fields
Total (€M) 2,800 1,600 800 200
Proportion of GERD devoted to these fields (%) 1 24.7 95.0 19.6 94.0
 

1 All figures for GERD are rounded off to the nearest €100,000. However, the ratios are calculated using non-rounded data.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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42.02 Breakdown by research branch of R&D expenditure by active firms in the fields of new materials and nanotechnology in 2014 (%)

New materials
Nanotechnology
  
Manufacture of motor vehicles
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
Other branches
Manufacture of electronic components and boards, computers and peripheral equipment
Specialised scientific and technical activities
Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation; watches and clocks
Telecommunications
 
 

Expenditure is categorised using a classification system of 32 branches. Only the top four branches (in terms of expenditure) are shown for each of the fields in question.
In 2014, the branch 'Manufacture of motor vehicles' carried out 15% of new materials GERD.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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42.03 Breakdown by number of employees of active firms in new materials and nanotechnology in 2014 (%)

250 employees and more
50-249 employees
20-49 employees
Fewer than 20 employees
  
All R&D firms
New materials
Nanotechnology
 
 
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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Other editions

Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 9th edition - November 2016
43 - business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology - Stéphane Montenache
In 2013, nearly a quarter of firms in France that carried out R&D in-house incurred R&D expenditure in the fields of new materials or nanotechnology. Overall research expenditure in these two fields was €3.5 billion in 2013, or 11.4% of total BERD [Consult the following page]
Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 8th edition - November 2015
42 - business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology - Stéphane Montenache
In 2012, nearly a quarter of firms in France (23%) that carried out R&D in-house incurred R&D expenditure in the fields of new materials or nanotechnology, an increase on the previous year. In the field of new materials, the chemicals industry remained the leading branch in terms of expenditure incurred. R&D in nanotechnology mostly involved small enterprises and was primarily focused on the ‘Manufacture of electronic components and boards’ branch [Consult the following page]

Translation

 Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheL'état de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche en France n°10 - Avril 2017
42 - la R&D en nouveaux matériaux et en nanotechnologies dans les entreprises - Stéphane Montenache
En France, en 2014, une entreprise active en de R&D sur cinq engage des dépenses intérieures de R&D dans les domaines des nouveaux matériaux ou des nanotechnologies. La dépense de recherche globale associée à ces deux domaines s’élève à 3,6 milliards d'euros (Md€) en 2014, soit 11,7 % de l’ensemble de la DIRDE [Consult the following page in french]


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