These areas are grounded in the government's long-term plan for research and higher education for the period 2023–2032 (regjeringen.no), and it is expected that these areas are given a special focus and priority. Resource allocation is measured as R&D current expenditure and demonstrates the development since 2015.
Thematic R&D constitutes 45 percent of total R&D in 2021
In 2021, thematic R&D accounted for a total of 36 billion NOK. This makes up 45 percent of the total R&D resources, which is approximately the same proportion as in the two previous mappings. Since 2019, total R&D resources for thematic R&D have increased by just under 700 million NOK, or around two percent nominally.
Among all areas, both thematic and technological, ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is the largest with approximately 26 billion NOK in 2021. R&D within ICT constitutes a third of the total R&D resources. Among the thematic areas, energy is the largest, with a resource allocation of nearly 11.4 billion NOK. Thus, this area accounts for around 14 percent of the total operating expenses for R&D.
Most thematic areas experience real growth – except for energy which saw a decrease
Most thematic areas have experienced real growth in R&D expenditure since 2015, except for energy, agriculture, and maritime. The most significant real growth has been observed in education and climate, both with growth rates of about 55 percent. R&D resources for environment and aquaculture have also increased significantly, especially the former with over 40 percent growth. The energy sector, which has received considerable attention and is a focus area for Norwegian R&D, has experienced a real decrease of five percent since 2015. In comparison, the total current expenditure for R&D in Norway had a real growth of 17 percent from 2015 to 2021. Thematic and technological areas with growth exceeding this percentage can be considered prioritized. If we also look at the real growth from 2019 to 2021, the same areas have had real growth, except for marine and fisheries, which experienced a decrease. In comparison, the real growth in total current expenditure on R&D in Norway was only one percent from 2019 to 2021. In other words, the following areas have been prioritized: climate, environment, aquaculture, welfare, education, biotechnology, and ICT, as they have experienced a proportionally greater growth than other Norwegian research areas.
In the higher education sector, educational research was the largest area with nearly 10 percent of the sector's total R&D expenditure. It was followed by climate research and energy, with shares around 6.5 percent each. Both technological areas constitute around 10 percent, which is more than any thematic area's share in the sector. The so-called blue areas: fisheries and maritime, were the smallest with shares of 0.6 and 1.0 percent, respectively.
In the industrial sector, ICT is clearly the largest, constituting 55 percent, which is more than half of the sector's R&D. Energy research comes in second, comprising 19.3 percent, which is significantly ahead of the environmental research at 7.4 percent of the industrial sector's R&D resources. Marine and fisheries are the sector's two smallest areas, comprising less than one percent. Welfare and education are categories not surveyed for R&D in this sector.
The institute sector is the largest only in one area: marine research, constituting almost 60 percent of the resources. Nevertheless, the institute sector is a significant contributor in all areas and is relatively large within primary sectors like fisheries and agricultural research, as well as within both climate research and environmental research.
Over 11 billion NOK for energy research in 2021 – and petroleum is the largest, but its share is decreasing as renewable energy grows
Norwegian research communities conducted R&D within energy for over 11.3 billion NOK in 2021. Over two-thirds of Norwegian energy research is carried out in the industrial sector. From 2015 to 2021, there has been a total real decrease in expenses of 4.8 percent. After a real growth of nearly 2 percent from 2017 to 2019, there was a decrease of almost 3 percent from 2019 to 2021.
Research in petroleum-related areas is clearly the largest, accounting for 41 percent of the total energy research in Norway, with over 4.6 billion NOK in 2021. Research in energy efficiency and conversion comprises 33 percent, while renewable energy accounts for 25 percent of energy research. Although petroleum-related research is still the largest area, there has been a downward trend from 2017 to 2021. Research in both renewable energy and energy efficiency and conversion has grown at the expense of petroleum. During the same period, petroleum-related research has decreased by 19 percent.
Climate research is increasing and amounts to 4.7 billion NOK
Norwegian research communities conducted climate research for approximately 4.7 billion NOK in 2021. This corresponds to about 6 percent of Norway's total R&D resources in 2021. Over time, resources for climate research have shown consistent real growth throughout the period of assessment. Within climate research, the research area of climate and climate adaptation was the largest, accounting for about 40 percent. The other two research areas, climate technology and CO2 management, were roughly equal at around 30 percent each. However, resources for CO2 management have increased significantly, doubling since 2017, an increase equivalent to a real growth of 80 percent.
Educational research is the largest thematic area in the higher education sector
In 2021, educational research amounted to 2.5 billion NOK. The higher education sector is by far the largest within educational research, and universities, constituting a growing proportion of the effort, accounted for almost 70 percent of educational research. Overall, educational research constitutes 6 percent of total R&D in 2021, and it has grown steadily since 2007 when the share was only half. Educational research is significantly strengthened and can be considered a focus area that has received recognition in the form of increased R&D resources. Educational research is the largest thematic area in the higher education sector, comprising 10 percent of the sector's total R&D.
More than half of industrial sector's R&D is within ICT
In 2021, current expenditure for ICT-related R&D amounted to 26 billion NOK, with 85 percent of this carried out by the industrial sector. Thus, ICT constitutes a substantial proportion of the sector's R&D, 55 percent of the total R&D resources in ICT. For the higher education sector and the institute sector, R&D in ICT accounted for between 8 and 11 percent of the sector's total R&D scope. In total ICT R&D constituted almost a third of Norway's R&D resources in 2021. From 2015 to 2021, ICT research has grown across all sectors, with a collective growth of nearly 50 percent. In the latest period, from 2019 to 2021, ICT-related R&D experienced a real growth of 15 percent.