R&D activity in foreign-controlled enterprises

Enterprises controlled from abroad have on average more R&D activity than Norwegian controlled enterprises. 15 percent of the enterprises were foreign-controlled in 2012, accounting for almost one third of business R&D expenditures. Enterprises that are controlled from abroad has thus on average have more R&D than Norwegian owned enterprises. The reason for this is mainly the higher proportion of foreign-controlled enterprises among large enterprises than among small enterprises compared to Norwegian enterprises. Large enterprises generally have higher R&D activity than small enterprises.

In addition to own performed R&D enterprises acquire R&D services from others. Foreign - controlled enterprises acquire to a much higher extent R&D services from abroad, especially from units within their own enterprise group, compared to Norwegian enterprises. It has been an increase in foreign-controlled enterprises' purchase of R&D services from abroad, but this has still not lead to less R&D activity performed in Norway for these enterprises as a group. The R&D expenditures have been stable in the period 2007-2009, followed with a period with growth.