Press release 27/01/12
Gipuzkoa consolidated its position over the European average of expenditure on R&D in terms of GDP
In 2010 expenditure in relation to GDP reached 2.58% in Gipuzkoa, 1.92% in Bizkaia and 1.58% in Álava.
Gipuzkoa, with 2.58%, continued to exceed the EU-27 average (2.00%) of expenditure on Technological Development and Scientific Research (R&D) in terms of GDP, highlighting the difference with the other two provinces of the Basque Country. Bizkaia with 1.92% and Álava with 1.58% also maintained growth compared to the figures for the previous year, 1.85% and 1.54%, respectively, which meant that the three provinces were higher than the Spanish average (1.39%).
In 2010 a total of 1360 million euros (2.08% of GDP) was invested in Technological Development and Scientific Research (R&D) activities, with internal expenditure on R&D increasing by 6.2% compared to the previous year. This increase was produced in the three provinces. Bizkaia increased expenditure from 609 to 643 million (+5.6%), Gipuzkoa from 510 to 546 (+7.1%) and Álava from 162 to 171 million (+5.6%).
In terms of the weight that each province held in the Community, Bizkaia represented 47.3%, Gipuzkoa 40.1% and Álava the remaining 12.6%, which was a spending distribution practically equal to the previous year.
Type of expenditure. If the type of expenditure is considered, current expenditure increased from 1076 to 1164 million in the last year (+8.2%). By province, Bizkaia increased expenditure from 516 to 567 million (9.9%), Gipuzkoa from 426 to 450 (+5.6%) and Álava, for its part, from 134 to 148 million euros (+10.4%).
In turn, capital expenditure (investments in land, buildings, equipment and instruments), as in the previous year, fell from 205 to 196 million euros (-4.4%). By provinces, there was a drop in Bizkaia, from 94 to 77 million (-18.1%) and Álava, from 28 to 23 million (-17.9%). Gipuzkoa, however, increased this expenditure from 83 to 96 million (+15.7%).
Implementation sectors. By implementation sectors, the Business sector continued to be the focus of the greatest percentage of expenditure, followed by the University and Administration sectors, although it displayed different characteristics in each of the three territories.
Gipuzkoa was the province with the greatest percentage of expenditure within the Business sector, 81.8% (447 million euros). It was followed by Álava with 75.9% (130 million) and Bizkaia with 73.4% (472 million).
In Álava the Public Administration sector stood out, accounting for 9.5 of total expenditure; this percentage was lower in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, where it stood at 6.1% and 4.0%, respectively.
Bizkaia, for its part, stood out in terms of implementation in the University sector, which accounted for 20.5% of the total expenditure in the province, whilst in Álava this figure stood at 14.6% and in Gipuzkoa, 14.2%.
67.5% of internal expenditure on R&D in the business sector was financed by private resources.
The financing of expenditure on R&D in the Business sector on the part of private initiative reached 67.5% in the Basque Country, slightly down on 2009 (68.2%). By province, this percentage stood at 72.4% in Álava, 66.9% in Bizkaia and 66.6% in Gipuzkoa.
In relation to the total number of R&D personnel in equivalent to full-time positions, there was an increase in the three provinces compared to 2009. In Álava this number stood at 2328 people, 49.6% of whom were researchers. In Bizkaia 8210 people were employed, 66.7% of whom were researchers. Gipuzkoa, in turn, employed 6994 people in this area, 63.7% of whom were researchers. The lower proportion of researchers in Álava was compensated by a greater percentage of technicians, 36.7%, ten points up on the other two provinces.
If we look at the participation of women in R&D activities, in Bizkaia they accounted for 36.1%, in Álava 33.2% and in Gipuzkoa this percentage stood at 30.4% of employed people.
Scientific discipline. As in previous years, Engineering & Technology is the scientific discipline that accounted for the greatest expenditure (69.3%) and employed the highest number of people (12,205). Furthermore, it is important to highlight the fact that businesses financed 86.7% of this discipline in the Basque Country. By province, special mention should be made of Gipuzkoa, where Engineering & Technology accounted for 73.2% of R&D expenditure and businesses dedicated 88.5% of their funding. Bizkaia accounted for 67.9% of expenditure with 86.80% coming from business funding and Álava, lastly, had an expenditure of 62.1% and a funding of 80.7% on the part of businesses.
In Álava, 47.5% of R&D expenditure in the business sector was implemented in small businesses
Companies with less than 50 employees accounted for 29.2% of R&D expenditure in the business sector. This percentage was higher in Álava, where it stood at 47.5%, whilst the figures for Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia stood at 23.8% and 29.1%, respectively.
For further information:
Basque Statistics Office
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tel:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.eus
Contact: Pilar Vázquez Sancho
Tel:+34-945-01 75 46 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01
Further press releases on Technological Development and Scientific Research Statistics
Technological Development and Scientific Research Statistics Databank