Depending on how urgent that research is, it can be done within the specified timeline or it may be put on the back burner for years. For example, in the company that I am a co-op at, I have found that research and development is not as high of a priority as manufacturing and production. This may be because the market is relatively stable and there is no need to research to further better the product. The minimal research that is being conducted is by a smaller team of engineers and the projects have been awaiting approval for several months even though the results are already looking successful. However, if a company is trying to get a competitive edge or if customers/patients are high in demand for a certain product, the funding and time allotted for research will be a much higher priority. In those cases, there will always be delays but the end product is something that everyone involved is satisfied with.