Critical and Emerging Technologies by U.S. Businesses: Use and R&D Funding and Performance

Overall, businesses had low incidence rates of using most of the CETs included in the survey. However, when examined at the subsector and industry group level,^​ there are some important differences (table 1). Information and communications technology (ICT) CETs are widely used. Nearly all subsectors have at least 5% usage rates (based on point estimates) of ICT CETs, such as advanced computing (32 subsectors) and communication and networking (31 subsectors). A higher percentage of companies reported using advanced computing (25%) than using any other CET. The following industry groups all had use rates of advanced computing that were significantly greater than 50%: software publishers (North American Industry Classification System [NAICS] code 5112), data processing, hosting, and related services (NAICS 518), and computer systems design and related systems (NAICS 5415). With respect to communication and networking technologies, the following industry groups had high use rates: communications equipment (NAICS 3342) at 56% and telecommunications (NAICS 517) at 42%. Advanced manufacturing^​ CETs-such as advanced sensing, autonomous systems and robotics, and additive manufacturing-are used throughout the 18 manufacturing subsectors. Point estimates indicate at least 5% usage rates of advanced sensing in 13 subsectors, autonomous systems and robotics in 13 subsectors, and additive manufacturing in 14 subsectors.

For businesses with 10 or more employees, pharmaceutical and medicine (NAICS 3254), computer and electronic products (NAICS 334), software publishing (NAICS 5112), computer systems design and related services (NAICS 5415), and scientific research and development services (NAICS 5417) are among the highest in R&D intensities, measured as the ratio of R&D to sales within the industry.^​ Figure 2 presents ABS data^​ on the use of CETs by these industries. Over half (55%) of the computer systems design and related services industry (NAICS 5415) used advanced computing at least "a little," and 27% of companies in this industry used the communication and networking CET. Forty percent of the scientific research and development services industry (NAICS 5417) used the advanced computing CET at least "a little," and 32% of companies in this industry used the biotechnology CET.

The recent CHIPS and Science Act (H.R. 4346) focused attention on key manufacturing industries such as the computer and electronic products industry (NAICS 334). Within this industry, advanced computing, communication and networking, and additive manufacturing had usage rates of more than 20% (figure 2). Figure 3 shows the usage of CETs in the semiconductor and other electronic components industry (NAICS 3344), which shows that CETs such as advanced computing, communication and networking, and advanced semiconductors and microelectronics all had usage rates of more than 20%.