Nokia believes that effective research and development is vital to remaining competitive in the mobile computing and communications industry. As of April 1, 2007, we had R&D centers in 11 countries and employed 14,500 people in research and development, representing approximately 32% of Nokia’s total workforce. R&D expenses totaled EUR 3,9 billion in 2006, representing 9,5% of Nokia’s net sales. We invest a substantial portion of our resources in research and development activities within our principal business groups Mobile Phones, Multimedia and Enterprise Solutions, Technology Platforms , and in the Nokia Research Center (NRC).

Nokia Research Center has a unique mission to lead Nokia into the future: NRC will be the global leader of open innovation for human mobility systems of the fused physical and digital world, giving birth to the growth of businesses for Nokia.

Nokia Research Center was founded in 1986 from the Nokia Electronics R&D unit, with the a headcount of 86 persons. Today, NRC employs roughly 800 researchers from 43 countires and a wide variety of fields. Representing just over 4% of Nokia’s R&D employees, NRC researchers produce about one half of Nokia’s essential patents, and 34% of all Nokia invention reports (2006).

NRC has a two-fold approach to achieving its mandate. The work for core technology breakthroughs supporting Nokia's existing businesses takes place in the Core Technology Centers, the CTC's. More visionary, exploratory systems research that goes well beyond any current business model is conducted at the many System Research Centers, the SRC's.

See the NRC Systems Research Centers and Core Technology Centers

The telecommunications industry is rapidly transforming into an internet-led multimedia, IT and communications industry where unconventional competencies are a must. NRC strives for open innovation with academia, industry collaborators and independent developers. Some of our largest collaboration projects take place with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge/MA, Stanford University in Palo Alto/CA, the University of Cambride in the Unitged Kingdeom, and Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

See all research areas and projects

See the Nokia Research Library for scientific publications.