Is R&D A Valuable Measurement of Innovation?
The Relationship Between R&D and Innovation
It is well known that when performed effectively research and development (R&D) can increase the value of a company. However, Forbes writes that this is commonly misconstrued as it has been claimed that research and development spending directly translates to a measure of innovation. While R&D and innovation do correlate, they are not a perfect formula.
Tendayi said, “having a great R&D process and achieving market success with technologies we invent are two different things.” He goes on to suggest that R&D spending may be an effective measure of best practice within a particular industry.
In gauging the correlation between R&D and innovation rankings, the 2016 report of the Top 10 Innovative Companies provides the perfect example. Five of the ten ranking innovative businesses were also ranked in the top twenty for R&D spending in 2016, while the remaining five spent between $4.5 to $0.7 billion US dollars. Effectively, this demonstrates the necessity for research and development within innovation, as all 10 of the raking companies invest largely in R&D, however, it also demonstrates that spending was not the solo contributor to innovative success.
What is the Perfect Formula?
A successful company is capable of marrying innovation with market understanding. As Forbes explains, effective innovation solves for both technical and market risk factors. This is often left behind in lab based companies where business models are overlooked.
According to Forbes entrepreneurial expert, the formula for success continues to fund research and development programs that meet industry standards while implementing a strong invention to market management process making the improvements and inventions accessible on the market.
If you would like to discuss the R&D Tax Incentive further, please do not hesitate to contact one of Swanson Reed’s offices today.
