Industry spending on research outstrips capital equipment

UK industry is investing far more in intangible assets such as research and training than on physical assets like equipment and buildings, according to an analysis by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta).

In its report, ‘UK innovation index: Productivity and growth in UK industries’, the charity looks at industrial investment in all aspects of the innovation process. This was done at the request of the government in response to concerns that data on innovation focusses too narrowly on R&D metrics and that other investments should be included.