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machinery industries. The 98 largest enterprises (those with over 1,000 employees) account for more than three-fourths of total industrial research. Industrial applied research also is conducted in some of the universities, particularly the institutes of technology, in governmental laboratories, and in cooperative research institutes (Branschforskningsinstitut). These latter institutes have research programs of interest to a particular branch of industry and represent an effort on the part of Swedish industry to acquire the benefits of research through cooperative activity. In 1966 there were almost 40 of these institutes, some of which received partial financial support from the government. They play an important role in industrial research programs and are of particular importance to the smaller industrial organizations, which find it difficult to finance research programs in their own laboratories. The Swedish Institute for Metal Research, Stockholm, is one of the larger cooperative research institutes, employing about 55 people. The Swedish Forest Products Research Institute, Stockholm, also a cooperative institute, employs about 100 people in its main facility and 150 in special laboratories.

Sweden has no central organization responsible for coordination of research and for long-range planning. Informal coordination has been adequate for the small Swedish scientific community, and Ana intricate interlocking network of boards, committees, councils, and panels insure constant contact among key scientists of the country. Nevertheless, there is a growing sentiment within the government for the establishment of a formal body to be responsible for long-range planning, to establish priorities, to insure a balanced research and development program, and to provide for the allocation of resources to meet anticipated needs. The National Science Advisory Council (NSAC) was created in 1962 to provide long-range plans and counseling, but its role has been entirely advisory and without real authority. It has functioned mainly as a forum for discussion of research policy and consideration of research matters of broad interest in the scientific community. It is composed of highly respected individuals from higher education, the government, and commerce. In a reorganization in February 1969 its membership was reduced from 30 to 18, primarily by dropping industrial representatives. The Prime Minister is the chairman of the NSAC; there are two vice chairmen, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Industrial Affairs. The former is responsible for basic research and the latter for applied research and industrial development.

Since World War II, Swedish scientists have received steadily increasing and relatively generous financial support for their programs. However, during FY72 the amount approved by the government for research and development increased only 8% over the previous year; this is essentially a maintenance budget since mounting inflation and rising costs of research are expected to consume most of the apparent increase. Almost one-half of the total expenditure for research and development comes from nongovernment sources, indicating a growing interest by industry and private organizations in research and the industrial applications of research results.

Total expenditures for research and development during FY72, including that for private industry, amount to about US$500 million or about 1.4% of Sweden's gross national product. Complete data on the government's support for research and development are not available; such funds are scattered among various agencies and are not in readily identifiable form as research and development funds. A partial breakdown of the government's support of research and development for FY71 and FY72 by major recipient is as follows, in millions of U.S. dollars:

The amounts shown for the Office of the Chancellor of the Universities represent 30% of the total amounts appropriated for university operations; this is the percentage estimated that the higher schools spend on actual research activities. In addition to the amounts shown, the Building Research Council received an additional $7.9 million during FY71 and $8.1 million during FY72 from a special building research tax. Approximately $35 to $40 million is spent annually by other government organizations with research and development responsibilities, including the National Aeronautical Research Institute, Shipbuilding Experimental Tank, Geological Survey, National Institute of Public Health, and numerous smaller facilities.

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090022-2