R&d cooperation by swedish contractors

A survey of technical and administrative research and development (R&D) performed by Swedish contractors indicates that total R&D in 1989 reached 1.6% of total value added. Large firms in the industry show higher R&D intensities. Reasons for undertaking development work and preferred patterns of collaboration are ranked by eleven contractors in the survey. Increasing competitive power is the main reason given, regardless of firm size. Contractors also agree on the importance of owners as partners in development projects. Given this background, experiences from the first seven years of the joint employer and union Development Fund of the Swedish Construction Industry (SBUF) are reported. Data on all 264 finished projects, their applicants, participants, and themes are analyzed. Rising educational levels, structural change in the industry, and applications of advanced technology, including information technology, appear as long-term trends that affect the future of contractor R&D in Sweden.