Research and development (R&D) are two closely related but distinct activities that are often used together in the business and scientific worlds. Research refers to the systematic investigation into a subject in order to discover new knowledge, facts, or information. It is a process of gathering information and data through various methods, such as experiments, surveys, or studies.
In simple terms, research means open-ended investigation. Development is work towards an end product and deliverable.
When I was working at HP Labs, at the Labs we were doing mostly research, say a new RISC architecture, new graphics algorithms, high-speed A/D or D/A converters, etc. In many cases it would be very impractical to integrate any of these into a product (too complex, too much memory or processing required, too expensive, no market demand, etc.), but we had also many projects that were ready to be “transferred.” At that point, R&D engineers from the HP divisions would take our code, designs, etc, and try to integrate them into an existing product. That’s development.