Appendix F
Annex 1 to Chapter 5: Supplemental 2011 Survey Data
This appendix supplements Chapter 5 (Quantitative Outcomes) by providing additional data from the 2011 Survey.
The 2011 Survey asked about other potentially significant aspects of the company. Previous analysis of the SBIR program did not address a potentially important intervening variable: industry sector. It is quite possible that commercialization outcomes may be affected by the average cycle time of product development in different sectors. For example, product cycle time is much shorter in software than in materials or medical devices. Table F-1 shows the distribution of responses by Phase and sector.
This question was designed to provide an approximate map of activities by sector. There is considerable overlap between some categories, and respondents would have substantial leeway to define sectors differently, so these results should be viewed as highly preliminary.
A few key points emerge:
- Aerospace-orientation. Seventy-eight percent of respondents indicated that the project was in aerospace.
- Engineering driven. More than one-half of respondents indicated that the project was in engineering.
- Defense. Twenty-nine percent of respondents indicated that the project was in defense-specific products and services.
-
Other sectors. Three other sectors each accounted for at least 20 percent of responses:
- Sensors
- Materials
- Scientific instruments and measuring equipment
TABLE F-1 Distribution of Responses by Sector
| Industry sector | Percentage of Responses |
|
Aerospace |
78 |
|
Defense-specific products and services |
29 |
|
Energy and the environment |
18 |
|
- Sustainable energy production |
5 |
|
- Energy storage and distribution |
3 |
|
- Energy saving |
2 |
|
- Other energy or environmental products and services |
6 |
|
Engineering |
55 |
|
- Engineering services |
12 |
|
- Scientific instruments and measuring equipment |
28 |
|
- Robotics |
9 |
|
- Sensors |
26 |
|
- Other engineering |
5 |
|
Information technology |
11 |
|
- Computers and peripheral equipment |
2 |
|
- Telecommunications equipment and services |
2 |
|
- Business and productivity software |
1 |
|
- Data processing and database software and services |
3 |
|
- Media products |
2 |
|
- Other IT |
1 |
|
Materials (including nanotechnology for materials) |
25 |
|
Medical Technologies |
3 |
|
- Pharmaceuticals |
0 |
|
- Medical devices |
7 |
|
- Other biotechnology products |
3 |
|
- Other medical products and services |
1 |
|
Other (please describe) |
6 |
| N = Number of Responses | 178 |
NOTE: Bolded values emphasize major categories. Answers do not sum to 100 percent because more than one response is available.
SOURCE: 2011 Survey, Question 20.
