Besides California ($85.7 billion), which greatly outperformed other states, large companies performed the most R&D in 2015 in Washington ($15.3 billion), Massachusetts ($14.9 billion), and Michigan ($14.7 billion). Large companies made up the largest share of business R&D in Delaware (96.9 percent), Michigan (94.1 percent), and Oregon (94.0 percent).
Besides California ($3.2 billion), the states where small companies (25 employees or less) performed the most R&D in 2015 were Massachusetts ($1.4 billion), Texas ($865 million), and New York ($719 million).
Large companies do not dominate business R&D expenditures in every state. The states where companies with more than 250 employees make up the smallest share of business R&D are Alaska (21.8 percent), New Mexico (50.8 percent), and Louisiana (57.2 percent). Among the biggest states, large companies make up the smallest share of business R&D investment in Louisiana (57.2 percent), Alabama (69.0 percent), and Virginia (72.6 percent).
The interactive map in the report looks at total business R&D in 2015, the percent change in business R&D from 2010 to 2015, and the share of business R&D in 2015 performed by companies with more than 2015 employees. The points for combined statistical areas use 2013 data, the most recent year where data is available.
Read more here.