Spending on research and development at Canadian universities, hospitals and experimental stations was $11.6 billion in the 2011-12 period, an increase of 3.4% compared with the previous fiscal period, according to Statistics Canada.
Provincially, R&D spending by universities increased in all provinces except Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. Ontario and Quebec accounted for two-thirds of R&D spending.
Universities and other educational institutions increased spending by 4.4% in the 2011-12 fiscal year compared with the previous year. They spent $5.2 billion. The federal government spent $3.1 billion while provincial governments spent $1.2 billion.
Many of the research projects at universities and medical hospitals end up being commercialized. A number of B.C. high-tech and biotech companies have been spun out of technology developed in local universities and hospitals.
