Off-Planet Research Stations

[Borealis4x (OP)]

Is there any point to building research stations anywhere other than your capital? It seems like it would be too much of a hassle to either gather the resources needed to build a station locally or to import the pieces and to then have to transport the scientists themselves who will eventually die.

[ChildServices]

You'll find anomalies that increase research output in certain fields for the research facilities located on that planet. It's worth putting at least a couple dozen on planets with particularly good bonuses just to take advantage of them.

[Sheb]

Research labs are an easy way for a pop to contribute to your Empire, since research require no inputs but population and labs, and the output don't need to be transported. In my games, I usually turns Mars into a research world once manpower is becoming scarce on Earth. That way I can still keep all my mineralls on Earth, but it frees up workers for the factories and shipyards.