The concepts described on these pages are words and expressions used in statistics with a specific, limited meaning. In everyday speech the word may have a different meaning. In connection with each definition you can find information about which sets of statistics use the concept.

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Research and development personnel

Research and development personnel are people who during the statistical year have spent at least 0.1 person-years (or 10% of their time) in an R&D unit doing administrative, office or other support work that is directly linked to R&D work or R&D projects. This category does not include people belonging to central departments who have done general administrative or office work serving the whole unit.

Product development engineers, researchers or equivalent are persons whose job is to produce new knowledge or develop new applications in product, process or other development work. This category also includes people responsible for the managing and planning of the contents of R&D projects.

Other R&D staff, such as technical experts, other personnel carrying out R&D tasks (e.g. laboratory technicians, computer programmers) and staff providing other kinds of support for R&D projects belong to this category.



Validity of the definition

  • 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2015

Research and development personnel are people who during the statistical year have spent at least 0.1 person-years (or 10% of their time) in an R&D unit doing administrative, office or other support work that is directly linked to R&D work or R&D projects. This definition does not include people belonging to central departments who have done general administrative or office work serving the whole unit.



Validity of the definition

  • 1 January 1900 - 31 December 2003

Source organisation

  • Tilastokeskus

Internal R&D personnel are persons employed by the statistical unit and who contribute to the unit’s intramural R&D activities (at least 10% of their normal annual work time) by performing R&D or administrative, office or other support work that is directly linked to R&D work or R&D projects. This category does not include people belonging to central departments who have done general administrative or office work serving the whole unit.

Research and development personnel by function

Product development engineers, researchers or equivalent are persons whose job is to produce new knowledge or develop new applications in product, process or other development work. This category also includes people responsible for the managing and planning of the contents of R&D projects. Person performing only administrative activities linked to the R&D projects belong to the group other R&D staff. According to the R&D definition every statistical unit performing R&D has at least one person who is product development engineer, researcher or equivalent.

Other R&D staff includes technical experts, other personnel carrying out R&D tasks (e.g. laboratory technicians, computer programmers) and staff providing other kinds of support for R&D projects.



Statistics using the definition

Validity of the definition

  • Valid

Source organisation

  • Tilastokeskus

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