A new industry report from IEEE Spectrum and Wiley highlights the growing challenge of R&D waste in the face of rapid AI adoption. The 2026 R&D Benchmark Report, based on a survey of more than 200 senior R&D professionals across North America, the UK, and Europe, shows that many organizations continue to lose significant budget on projects that never reach commercialization. The report emphasizes the need for better intelligence to improve decision-making before costly investments are made. According to the findings, AI adoption has surged, yet most organizations still use it primarily for execution, not for the strategic decisions that determine which projects deserve investment. This trend has led to fragmented data sources, lengthy approval processes, and critical insights arriving too late to influence key investment decisions. The report underscores the importance of earlier access to competitive, market, and patent intelligence to reduce costly late-stage failures and improve R&D productivity. The findings suggest that organizations are struggling to prioritize the right opportunities, eliminate low-value projects early, and reduce costly late-stage failures. The report provides practical benchmark data and insights into the strategies organizations are using to reduce R&D waste and accelerate time to market. The findings also highlight the need for better decision-making tools to navigate the increasingly complex innovation landscape.
The research reveals that while AI adoption is widespread, many organizations still lack the intelligence needed to prioritize the right opportunities, eliminate low-value projects early, and reduce costly late-stage failures. Instead, teams often contend with fragmented data sources, lengthy approval processes, and critical insights that arrive too late to influence key investment decisions. The report draws on responses from more than 200 senior R&D leaders across nine industries to provide actionable insights into reducing R&D waste. The findings suggest that organizations are struggling to make confident, data-driven R&D decisions, which has become a competitive advantage in the face of compressed development cycles and rapidly evolving markets. The report highlights the importance of integrating AI into the decision-making process to improve R&D productivity and reduce waste.
The report is presented by IEEE Spectrum and Wiley, with support from Patsnap, a global innovation intelligence company. Patsnap, founded in Singapore in 2007, leverages AI agents and robust analytics tools to empower IP and R&D teams. Trusted by more than 15,000 enterprises, law firms, and research institutions worldwide, Patsnap transforms how organizations innovate and make critical decisions. The report also highlights the role of IEEE Spectrum Magazine, the flagship publication of the IEEE, in exploring the development, applications, and implications of new technologies.
Source: ieee
