If you are setting up a new, fully furnished R&D center, it will be necessary to procure the hardware your R&D team will use. This includes computers, laptops, workstations, servers, scanners, printers, other peripherals, and possibly inter-office phones. Some hardware like high-end AR/VR/XR glasses, gloves, and highly specialized equipment for engineering, measuring, and testing R&D activities may also be required. Also, you’ll need desks, chairs, filing cabinets, and other sundries.
Nearly all of these are one-time expenses that can be amortized over time. The cost is highly variable, but can be divided into:
- common equipment that every developer needs
- specialized equipment based upon a ratio of developers
- unique equipment requiring only 1 or 2 per office
Perception Box provides a PC/Laptop/Macbook/Workstation, desk and chair for each engineer you hire to take care of your basic requirements. It will be necessary for you to provide any specialized equipment your team may need. For example, if you plan to engage in Extended Reality projects and need an MS Hololens 2, that will add around $3,500 and possibly another $1,000 annually for a Dynamics 365 Remote Assist subscription. It’s not likely every developer will need their own set. Mid-range sets like Oculus Rift or Wireless Quest are available for $400-500.
These costs are paltry compared to specialized lab equipment. Many companies have medical R&D labs in Ukraine. In the field of medical imaging, MRI scanners start at about $1 million. In surgical robotics, a da Vinci XI costs around $2 million.
So, equipment costs are best left to your chief technical or procurement officer to define.