Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure in the US

The US invests over $650 billion into research and development (R&D) each year funded by private businesses, federal and non-federal governments, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. In 2019, US State Governments spent $2.4 billion on Research & Development, 45% of which went to health-related projects.

Despite so much investment in research and development in the US, much of our established infrastructure has declined and could use much more funding and innovation. Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases America’s Infrastructure Scorecard. In the 2021 report, the nation received an overall score of C-. Currently, 42% percent of all bridges are at least 50 years old and 7.5% are considered to be in “poor” condition, while 43% of our public roadways are in poor or mediocre condition. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates communication by radio, television, and other means, estimates that 14.5 million Americans don’t have access to broadband internet.

Use the tool below to view industry, innovation, and infrastructure-related indicators nationally or by state, as well as an overview of the more than 39,500 nonprofits organizations that work on addressing related issues in the US. You can also discover 737 products and services in our Tech for Good Directory related to cybersecurity, donor management, data management and analysis and other key areas of research and innovation.