Manage your research, design and development

Research and development (R&D) - together with the design of new and modified products - forms an essential part of making your business more profitable and productive.

All businesses need to keep improving their products, services and business processes to anticipate and respond to changing customer needs. This means investing time and money into market research to establish these requirements and then into developing your products and services to ensure you meet them.

This guide looks at the commercial benefits of research and development. It explores ways you can carry out R&D - internally and externally - and outlines some best practices for managing the design process. It also details government support available for certain types of research and development activity.