1. Definitions

Applied research, as practised in the corporate world, has different characteristics to that carried out in an academic setting. These differences relate to project management, human resources, results assessment, property management, taxation and indicators, while the techniques of monitoring and experimental approach are largely common. Today, corporate R&D is conceived as a triptych of research-development-innovation (RDI), and is increasingly part of networks of peers and partnerships, whose stakeholders may pursue heterogeneous objectives. This article provides an overview of RDI organizations in companies, their specific features, their connections with other corporate functions, and with public research in France and Europe. Finally, it looks at the specificities of human resources management for RDI researchers and experts in the private sector.