Survey of 586 Researchers' Career Realities Published: "Research Theme" Overwhelmingly Ranks First as Deciding Factor for Job Change, Over 70% Utilize Generative AI in Business

CoA Nexus Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Kota Nozaki; hereinafter "CoA Nexus") operates "CoA Atlas," a next-generation AI matching platform specializing in research and development. We are pleased to announce that we have conducted and published the "Survey on the Future of R&D and Career Formation, March 2026."

This survey was an internet-based study conducted from February 21st to 28th, 2026, targeting 586 R&D professionals (researchers and engineers) nationwide. It is a large-scale quantitative survey that multi-dimensionally visualizes the current state of R&D professionals, including their job change intentions, compensation realities, generative AI utilization, and notable research themes.

Check the survey report

<Three Surprises Revealed in This Survey>

① "If salaries are equal, choose based on research theme" — R&D professionals' views on job change fundamentally differ from general occupations.

When multiple companies offered the same salary, the most common deciding factor for a job change was "attractiveness of job content/research themes" (25.4%). This was approximately twice the rate of the second-ranked "working hours/ease of work" (12.9%), consistently maintaining the top position across all age and income brackets.

② Over 70% of R&D professionals have incorporated generative AI into their work — not just "tried it out" but "daily tool" status.

72.3% of respondents utilize generative AI in their work. Among them, 41.2% use it "daily," indicating that generative AI has already become standard equipment in research settings, from information gathering and literature review to paper assistance and data analysis.

③ "Satisfied with work style, but dissatisfied with research environment" — A serious gap of 17 points emerged.

While satisfaction with work style reached 69.1%, satisfaction with the R&D environment remained at 52.0%. 68.1% of respondents felt a lack of equipment, revealing issues directly impacting work performance.

Survey Overview

Survey Purpose: To quantitatively grasp the latest trends in career, work style, research environment, and market perception in the researcher and engineer domain.

Target Audience: 586 people.