BERLIN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The German industry increased research expenditures last year, according to a study published by the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) on Monday.
According to the study, investments in research and development (R&D) reached 68.6 billion euros (77.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, 9.3 percent higher than in the previous year.
German companies also increased the number of employees working in research and development last year said the study. In the research departments of companies, 432,000 people were employed, an increase of almost 20,000 compared to the previous year.
"Overall, R&D expenditure is expected to reach 3.02 percent of gross domestic product in 2017," the study stated. In addition, the authors of the study anticipate a significant increase in R&D investment by universities and the German government.
The new figures show the extent to which "industry and public sector are working together on research and development," said German federal research minister Anja Karliczek.
The study is conducted annually and has been collecting data on research and development of German enterprises since 1970. The study is part of the official EU Community statistics and contributes to national and international reporting systems. The current figures are provisional and the final results by sector will be published in the spring 2019.
