The Geography of Research and Development in the United States

Abstract

AbstractThe geographic distribution of research and development follows in general the locational patterns of economic activities, particularly industry, as well as the distribution of long-established research centers. However, Federal funds tend to go mainly to states in which defense, aerospace, and electronics industries are concentrated. The share of Federal funds in the East North Central states, with other highly developed manufacturing industries, is substantially lower. The proximity of government agencies is another locational factor, tending to locate federally financed R&D in Maryland and Virginia. In some cases the physical environment is a determining factor, as in the case of Nevada and New Mexico, where the special needs of reactor safety and explosives testing require remoteness from populated areas. The expansion of research and development and its increasingly close links with industry have given rise to a new type of territorial-production structure combining research and production in...