Multiple definitions and guidelines exist to define Research and Development (R&D). When scientists and the scientific community gather all together during international conferences, they all speak the same universal language. Indeed, they all agree that R&D activities fall under three different categories:
- Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
- Applied research is an original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.
- Experimental development is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processe
R&D is not only carried out in laboratories. Moreover, with one topic, scientists can conduct experiments at every stage of R&D.
For example, the study of a chemical reaction under various conditions is basic research. The attempt to optimize this reaction with respect to the production of target molecule with given physical or chemical properties is applied research. Experimental development then consists of “scaling up” the process that has been optimized at the laboratory level and investigating and evaluating possible methods of producing the target molecule as well as products to be made from it.
To better differentiate the types of R&D, the question would rather be “what is the context of the experiment?” or “What are you trying to achieve with your experiments?”.