Increasing Research and Development in the Triangle Region
Research and development employees constitute a relatively small proportion of total private employment in the Triangle Region. Thus, in 2023, there were just under 2,500 full-time equivalents for research and development employees, corresponding to just under 2% of employment in the Triangle Region. However, the number has increased by as much as 90% over the past 10 years. This significant increase indicates a growing focus on research and development in the industries in the area.
The share of the workforce in private sectors in the Triangle Region dedicated to research and development is at the level of the Odense area, but below the other metropolitan areas. This is partly because some of the sectors that account for a large share of employment in the Triangle Region are sectors with little focus on research and development - this includes e.g. 'Trade & Transport' as well as 'Construction'.
One of the relatively research and development-heavy sectors that is significant in the Triangle Region is the industry and utilities sector. Specifically within the industry in the Triangle Region, there is a relatively high focus on research and development. Research and development activity in the industry, measured by the number of research and development employees, is highest in the Capital Region (especially the medical industry pulls this up) and then follows the Triangle Region.
About Research and Development Employees
The quantity of research and development employees is an indicator of the research and development activity occurring in the area. Research and development employees are here defined as persons with an academic education in engineering, health, or natural sciences, who are employed in a position where they engage in the application or production of knowledge at the highest level. The definition of research and development employees in the data is based on research articles, e.g. Kaiser, U.; Kongsted, H. C. & Rønde T. 'Does the mobility of R&D labor increase innovation?', Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Volume 110, 2015, pages 91-105. Employees are measured in full-time equivalents, i.e. converted to full-time positions.