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.

An 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 (Nomenclature d’activités française – NAF).

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 to 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

This page has been updated. Read 42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology in Higher education & research in France, facts and figures 10th edition - June 2017

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.

In 2012 (semi-finalised data), 23% of firms in France that carried out R&D in-house incurred R&D expenditure in the fields of new materials or nanotechnology. These two fields grew proportionally in terms of the number of firms involved, increasing from 21% to 23% of the total number of firms carrying out R&D in France in one year.

The total R&D expenditure associated with these two fields was around €3 billion for 2012, accounting for 10.3% of all intramural business enterprise expenditure on R&D (BERD), as compared with €2.7 billion in 2011.

More than one in five firms that incurred R&D expenditure in 2012 were involved in R&D in new materials, a proportional increase on 2011 (19%) (table 42.01).

Total R&D expenditure devoted to new materials was €2.3 billion in 2012, representing a 44% increase since 2008. This investment accounted for 22% of all intramural BERD for active firms in 2012. These firms devoted a significant proportion of their expenditure to other fields of research. When expenditure is broken down by industrial branch, the ‘Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products’ continues to take the lead (chart 42.02), accounting for 14% of all R&D expenditure devoted to this field, followed by the ‘Manufacture of electronic components’ (10%). The ‘Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery’ came in fourth place with less than 8% of expenditure devoted to ‘new materials’, behind the ‘Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products’ (8%).

R&D expenditure in the field of nanotechnology was more modest, totalling €800 million in 2012 (as compared with €670 million in 2011). This field involved nearly 4% of all firms carrying out R&D, representing an increase in comparison with 2011, when it accounted for just over 3% of businesses.

Although it was down slightly in comparison with 2011, the ‘Manufacture of electronic components and boards, computers and peripheral equipment’ branch still accounted for more than 60% of R&D expenditure in the field of nanotechnology. The ‘Manufacture of electronic components and boards, computers and peripheral equipment’ and ‘Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring’ branches together accounted for more than two thirds of all R&D expenditure devoted to nanotechnology.

The smaller group of firms dedicated to new materials grew significantly as a proportion of all firms carrying out R&D in terms of the number of people employed in this field. It accounted for 7.5% of the total workforce of firms carrying out R&D in 2012, as compared with 5.5% in 2011. This group still devoted almost all of its gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) – €1.3 billion in 2012 – to new materials. Firms specialising in nanotechnology still only accounted for a very small proportion of the total workforce – barely 2% of those employed by firms that carry out R&D worked in this field. They similarly devoted their entire intramural BERD (€0.3 billion in 2012) to nanotechnology (table 42.01).

32% of active firms in new materials employed 20 or fewer people, as compared with 51% of all firms carrying out R&D and 54% of those active in nanotechnology (chart 42.03). Conversely, half of all businesses active in new materials had at least 50 employees, in contrast to only 30% of all businesses carrying out R&D and 33% of those active in nanotechnology.

These characteristics in terms of the number of employees in each field tended to become more pronounced. The average number of people employed by firms dedicated to new materials increased in 2012 in comparison with 2011 (from 142 to 159), while that of firms dedicated to nanotechnology continued to fall (from 53 in 2011 to 40 in 2012).

 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, 2015. 8th ed. Chapter 42, 94-95 [Accessed 03/28/2024]. ISBN 978-2-11-139433-9. https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/8EN/EESR8EN_R_42-business_r_d_in_new_materials_and_nanotechnology-ILL_01.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.

An 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 (Nomenclature d’activités française – NAF).

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 to one of these fields if it devotes more than 75% of its intramural R&D expenditure to it.

 

Key figures


Share of business enterprises working in new materials
21.2%
 
2012
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: rapportée aux entreprises actives en R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Share of business enterprises specialising in new materials
9.9%
 
2012
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: rapportée aux entreprises actives en R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D in new materials
2.3 bn
 
2012
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
Share of business enterprises working in nanotechnology
3.7%
 
2012
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: rapportée aux entreprises actives en R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
  See more key figures  
Share of business enterprises specialising in nanotechnology
0.9%
 
2012
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "42. business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology".

Coverage: rapportée aux entreprises actives en R&D
Source: MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D in nanotechnology
800 M
 
2012
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 2012

 
All firms New materials Nanotechnology
Active firms Dedicated firms Active firms Dedicated firms
% of all firms carrying out R&D (number of firms) 100.0 21.2 9.9 3.7 0.9
% of all firms carrying out R&D (number of employees - headcount) 100.0 38.8 7.5 6.2 0.2
Average number of employees (per firm) 210 386 159 355 40
GERD
Total (in €M) 30,100 10,300 1,300 3,500 300
Average (per firm in €M) 1.7 2.7 0.7 5.3 1.9
Average R&D intensity (in €k) 1 21.5 16.3 13.9 35.5 40.5
GERD devoted to R&D in these fields
Total (in €M) 2,300 1,300 800 300
Average (per firm in €M) 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.8
Proportion of GERD devoted to these fields (%) 2 22.7 95.6 21.7 92.4
 

1 Average of the ratio (GERD/Number of employees).
2 All figures for GERD are rounded off to the nearest €100 million. 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 2012 (%)

New materials
Nanotechnology
  
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
Manufacture of electronic components and boards, computers and peripheral equipment
Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery
Other
Specialised, scientific and technical activities
Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring
 
 

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.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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42.03 Breakdown by number of employees of active firms in new materials and nanotechnology in 2012 (%)

250 or more employees
50-249 employees
20-49 employees
Fewer than 20 employees
  
Nanotechnology
New materials
All firms carrying out R&D
 
 
 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 10th edition - June 2017
42 - business R&D in new materials and nanotechnology - Stéphane Montenache
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 [Consult the following page]
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]

Translation

 Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheL'état de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche en France n°8 - juin 2015
42 - la R&D en nouveaux matériaux et en nanotechnologies dans les entreprises - Stéphane Montenache
En 2012, près d’un quart des entreprises en France (23 %) ayant une activité interne de R&D engagent des dépenses de recherche dans les domaines des nouveaux matériaux ou des nanotechnologies. Cette part est en progression sur un an. Dans le domaine des nouveaux matériaux, l’industrie chimique reste en tête quant aux dépenses engagées. Les nanotechnologies impliquent surtout de petites structures et sont orientées essentiellement vers la branche des composants et des cartes électroniques [Consult the following page in french]


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