Research and development (R&D) 2023

The purpose of the survey is to illustrate Swedish enterprises´ investment of financial and personnel resources in research and development (R&D).

The survey is conducted biennially.

The main users of the statistics are government agencies and research councils. The statistics are also used by individual researchers and international organizations such as the EU, OECD and UNESCO. Statistics Sweden uses the results in calculations of Sweden’s GDP.

Instructions for the survey in English (pdf)

The instructions are meant as a form of assistance when reporting on the questionnaire. They are also available on the start page of the survey once you have logged in to submit your data. 

Which questions are in the questionnaire?
To get an overview of the questionnaire, click on the link below.

Display copy of the English questionnaire (pdf)

Which questions you get I automatically conditioned on previous answers. You might, therefore, not get all questions in the questionnaire, but only the ones that are relevant for you. 

What is research?

Research comprises creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge with or without a particular application or use in view.

What are development activities?

Development is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new materials, goods, services, processes, systems, methods or significant improvements of such that already exist.

How can I distinguish between non-R&D and R&D activities?

The fundamental criterion for distinguishing R&D from related activities is the presence in R&D of an appreciable element of novelty and the resolution of scientific and/or technological uncertainty, i.e. when the solution to a problem is not readily apparent to someone familiar with the basic stock of common knowledge and techniques for the area concerned.

In all R&D work, there should be an element of novelty. Normal engineering or examination that follows established procedures are not considered to be R&D, even if conducted by researchers with a doctoral degree. In serial production the development and construction of the prototype is R&D work, but the production of the first series is not.

What if precise data on R&D is not available?

If precise data is not available or is difficult to gain access to, estimates and rounded figures may be submitted.

Which enterprises should be included in the figures?

Information should refer to the enterprise, i.e. the legal entity or accounting unit. Within a group of enterprises, each enterprise is its own survey unit, unless Statistics Sweden has notified otherwise.

Which reporting period should the information on R&D refer to?

The information should refer to the calendar year 2023. If your records refer to another period due to a broken accounting year, and you do not have the exact information or if the information is difficult to obtain, we appreciate if you make an estimate for the whole calendar year.

There are also a few questions on estimates for the calendar year 2024.

Please return the questionnaire by 21 March 2024.

What if user ID and password is lost?

Please contact us and we will send the user ID and password again. If you contact us by mail, please tell us your corporate identity number and which address the information should be sent to.

Why is it important that we submit information?

For the statistical methodology to provide accurate results, it is equally important to get responses from all the companies in the sample, regardless of whether the enterprise conducts R&D or not.

The information is needed since the information submitted will be used to calculate GDP. The results from the R&D survey are also used as a basis for policy decisions and in research.

Can we be allowed a respite to submit data?

If you cannot submit data to SCB before deadline, please contact us. If you send e-mail, type the corporate registration number.

Can the enterprise get paid for submitting data to Statistics Sweden?

No. There is a legal obligation to provide information for the R&D survey, therefore no compensation is possible.

The results of the survey are published on 31 October 2024 October on Statistics Sweden’s webpage.

The obligation to provide information is mandatory under the Official Statistics Act (2001:99). The statistics for this survey are also regulated according to the Official Statistics Ordinance (2001:100) and SCB's Regulation (SCB-FS 2024:3).

The information that is submitted to Statistics Sweden is protected according to chapter 24 section 8 of the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400). When the information is published, no single workplace or enterprise will be able to be identified. Consultation has taken place with the Swedish Better Regulation Council.