BlackBerry CEO John Chen says that his company is now officially a survivor. But even though the manufacturer's future was hanging by a thread last year, BlackBerry spent $1.3 billion on R&D (Research and Development) in 2013. That placed the Waterloo company in second place in Canada for such spending, behind Bombardier. BlackBerry was ahead of other manufacturers such as IBM Canada, Rogers Communications, Ericsson Canada, and Sierra Wireless.
In 2012, BlackBerry spent an even higher amount, $1.5 billion, on R&D. That placed it second, trailing Bombardier like it did the following year. Most of this spending cannot be attributed to Chen's reign, since the turnaround expert took over in November of 2013 when then sitting CEO Thorsten Heins was removed.
Other wireless companies in the top 25 include carriers Bell Canada (4th, $575 million), Rogers (7th, $394 million) and Telus (21st, $161 million). The R&D spending by BlackBerry is laying the foundation for the future, as R&D dollars are spent on the handsets of tomorrow. Who knows? Some of that $2.8 billion spent in 2013 and 2012 might have helped the company develop its popular enterprise-centric BlackBerry Passport.
BlackBerry was the largest R&D spender in Canada during 2013 and 2012
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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