Innovation and Global Competitiveness

Learn about U.S. innovation and global competitiveness, and gain an understanding of how the United States ranks globally. Topics include U.S. research and development (R&D) innovation efforts, such as patents and trademark registration, R&D expenditures by sector (business, higher education, nonprofit, and federal and state government), and R&D-to-GDP ratios.

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Using Evidence to Inform U.S. Policies on Science, Technology, and Innovation Competitiveness

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Innovation and Global Competitiveness Topics

Innovation & Production

Product & Business Process Innovation

Production and Value Added

Knowledge and Technology Intensive (KTI) Industries

Patenting and Trademark Activities

Technology Transfer Activities

Research & Development (R&D) Activity

R&D Intensity

R&D Employment

Type of R&D (basic, applied, experimental development)

R&D Publications & Articles

Business R&D

Federal Government/Agency R&D

Higher Education R&D

Clinical Trials and Medical Projects

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) R&D

State Government/Agency R&D

R&D Funding Received & Spent

R&D Funding Source

Business R&D

Higher Education R&D

Nonprofit R&D

Federal Government/Agency R&D

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) R&D

State Government/Agency R&D

R&D Capital Expenditures

R&D Cost Type

R&D Funding Agreement (contract, grant, reimbursement, etc.)

People: Workforce

Employment Status

Work Activity

Occupation

Skilled Technical Workforce

Employment Sector

Faculty Rank, Tenure Status

Income and Salary

Location

By State or Region

By Country

Colleges and Universities, People: Students/Education

Higher Education Enrollment

Colleges and Universities

Institutions

Minorities in Higher Education

People: Students/Education

Higher Education Degrees

K-12 STEM Education

Postgraduation Plans

Open-Access Publishing in a Global Context.

Analysis

Open-Access Publishing in a Global Context

August 6, 2025

Discovery: R&D Activity and Research Publications.

Report

Discovery: R&D Activity and Research Publications

July 23, 2025

Relationships Between Business Owner Age, Education, and Experience and Product Innovation.

Analysis

Relationships Between Business Owner Age, Education, and Experience and Product Innovation

July 15, 2025

Data Highlights

Total microbusiness domestic R&D performance increased 26% between 2018 and 2022

Figure 1. Total microbusiness domestic R&D performance increased 26% between 2018 and 2022)

Up from $4.5 billion in 2018 to $5.7 billion in 2022

54%

California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, and New York accounted for 54% of all domestic microbusiness R&D performance cost in 2022

$14T

Total domestic net sales reported by U.S. companies that performed or funded R&D in 2022

In constant dollar terms, business research and experimental development (R&D) performance is estimated to increase by $35.0 billion over the 2021 level

Figure 1. In constant dollar terms, business research and experimental development (R&D) performance is estimated to increase by $35.0 billion over the 2021 level

In contrast, the constant value of R&D performance for federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), nonfederal governments, and universities is estimated to decline in 2022