In 2002 a total of 672 million euros was invested in Scientific Research and Technological Development (R&D) in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 8.6% more than in the previous year, according to EUSTAT data.

Taking the last ten years into account, investment made in the area of research work has practically tripled.

Graph 1: INTERNAL EXPENDITURE ON R&D

Source: EUSTAT

Expenditure on R&D in 2002 represents 1.50% of the GDP, which is above the state average (0.96% in 2001), but below the European Union average (1.93%). Since this growth is greater than that of the GDP at current prices (4.6%), it means that the intensity of expenditure rose point zero six per cent in relation to the previous year.

It has been shown that there is a positive relation between the level of GNP per inhabitant and the percentage of GDP that is dedicated to R&D. The richest countries are those that make the greatest investment in R&D, which is to say those that invest more than 2.5% of their GNP: Sweden, Japan, Finland and the USA. Among those that make an intermediate investment - between 1.5% and 2.5% of their GDP - are Germany, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria and Canada. The lowest investments in R&D are made in Ireland (1.17%), Italy (1.07%), Spain (0.96%), Hungary (0.95%), Portugal (0.78%) and Poland (0.67%).

Among autonomous communities, the Basque Country continues to occupy the second place in amount spent on R&D, a figure only exceeded by the Community of Madrid, with 1.75% of its GDP in 2001, due to the large number of public centres dedicated to R&D. Therefore no autonomous community bettered the European Union-15 average.

79% of R&D expenditure in the A.C. of the Basque Country takes place in the company sector.

In terms of execution sectors, companies make up for 79% of expenditure on R&D, 18% is dedicated to university research and the remaining 3% is carried out by various public bodies under the auspices of the Administration. In this area there are also important differences as regards the results obtained in the Spanish State, where companies carried out only 52% of expenditure on R&D in 2001, public administration 16%, higher education 31% and the remaining 1% Private Non-Profit Making Institutions.

The scientific branch that spends the most and employs the greatest number of people is that of engineering and technology, to which 77% of resources are devoted and in which 75% of personnel dedicated to R&D are employed.

As regards industrial companies, machinery and mechanical equipment and aeronautic and space construction stand out as the most relevant research products. These two sectors make up for 25% (2% less than in 2001) of all current expenses that companies devote to R&D.

In the case of service companies, the products that they devote most resources to are telecommunications, software and R&D services, making a joint total of 26% (9% more than in 2001) of expenditure dedicated to R&D.

As regards finance, the private sector, via companies, devoted 434 million euros to research, 64.5% of the total, this contribution being one and a half per cent down on the previous year. Public finance came to 27.1%. 8.3% of funds came from abroad, making this sector the one that has most increased its contribution, 7% in 2001 and 3% in 2000. The A.C. of the Basque Country ranks among those countries with the highest amount of private funding such as the USA and Germany.

The total number of personnel dedicated to R&D activities in the A.C. of the Basque Country stands at 11,165 people (+5.1% in relation to 2001), 11.40 per thousand of the active population, of which 6,295 are researchers, 6.43 per thousand.

Table 1: R&D INDICATORS

(*) Series corrected with data from the GNP- 2000 of the A.C. of the Basque Country

(**)E.D.P.: Equivalent to full-time dedication

Source: A.C. of the Basque Country: EUSTAT- Spain: INE- European Union: EUROSTAT

Other indicators of research carried out in the A.C. of the Basque Country are patents and utility models.

The number of published patent applications came to 216 during 2002, 137 being made through the state office, 34 through Europe and 45 through PCT (international). Among applications for patents, the greatest number were for domestic appliances, buildings and building accessories (such as locks and safes) and transport and packaging.

As for utility models, 155 were created, and here too the majority were domestic appliances, transport and packaging and buildings and building accessories, in this case doors and windows.