There is a bug on the web version, there is nothing on the "R&D" window.
Design and sell hardware to outdo the competition in this free tycoon! · By
Hey! I think I found the answer as to why this is happening (this is based on my own findings and Haxor is yet to verify). I think it's literally all down to a patchy internet connection. Or an internet connection that went down at some point while you were playing the game. I'm still checking this out however, and it could be something else, so don't be surprised if I come back and retcon this, but I think this is why that bug occurs. Hope this helps and/or satisfies your curiosity!