Press Release 11/11/2013
Expenditure on R&D in the Basque Country grew by 0.5%, representing 2.12% of GDP in 2012
Personnel in full-time equivalent work increased by 4.5% compared to 2011
In 2012 1,372.9 million euros were invested in Technological Development and Scientific Research (R&D) in the Basque Country, 0.5% up on the previous year, according to data provided by Eustat.
In relation to GDP, expenditure on R&D in the Basque Country increased to the point where it stood at 2.12% of GDP in 2012, four hundredths up on the previous year. Without data being available for 2012 for Spain or the EU-27, it can be seen that the percentage of expenditure over GDP in the Basque Country has systematically been maintained above the Spanish average and the difference has increased over the last few years. In relation to the EU-27 figures, in 2010 the Basque Country exceeded the European Union average.
The number of employed personnel stood at 18,682 individuals in equivalent full-time positions (E.F.T.), following an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year, and represented 2.08% of full-time equivalent jobs in the Basque economy. By implementation sectors, 13,440 individuals corresponded to the Business sector, 4,058 to Higher Education and 1,184 to Public Administration. Of these personnel, 11,772 were researchers in equivalent full-time positions, following an increase of 4.3% compared to the previous year, with the following distribution: 7,652 in Business, 3,534 in Higher Education and 586 in Public Administration.
34.7% of R&D personnel were women
6,204 individuals, 34.7% of R&D personnel in full-time work, were women, with the highest percentages of female presence in the Public Administration and Higher Education with 53.3% and 49.5%, respectively, whilst for Business this percentage stood at 28.5%.
75.8% of expenditure on R&D in the Basque Country was implemented by the business sector
In terms of who carried out expenditure on R&D, the majority, 75.8% (1,041.2 million euros) was implemented by companies, whereas 17.9% (245.1 million) corresponded to higher education and the remaining 6.3% (86.6 million) was carried out by various bodies dependent on the Administration.
Compared to the previous year, the Business sector of the Basque Country, although still the sector that is making the greatest efforts in research tasks, registered a drop of 2 tenths in its percentage of participation, whilst Higher Education maintained its percentage constant. The Public Administration, for its part, increased its contribution by two tenths.
This expenditure structure of the Basque Country maintained a significant difference with the Spanish average, where Business carried out 52.3% of expenditure on R&D, Higher Education 28.2% and the Public Administration 19.5% With regards to the EU-27, there was also a divergence, although the figures were more similar.
With regards to the expenditure implemented by the Business Sector on R&D by sectors of activity, 43.1% of expenditure in 2012 was concentrated within the industrial sector, whilst the services sector accounted for 54.1%, and the remaining 2.8% was implemented by construction and the primary sector. Focusing on industrial companies, special mention should be made of the fact that the activity branches of Transport Material (8.9%), Other Machinery (6.5%) and Metal Items (4.7%) are those that implemented the most internal expenditure on R&D. Within services companies, those included in R&D Activities (36.1%) and Other Business Activities (9.7%) dedicated the most resources to internal R&D expenditure.
As regards the importance of Technology Centres in the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network, the expenditure implemented stood at 222.9 million euros, 16.2% of the total, and employed 2,877 individuals in equivalent full-time positions, 15.4% of the total. With regards to the 2011 figures, this meant an decrease in expenditure of 3.6% and an increase in employment of 1.6%.
From the point of view of who funded R&D expenditure, similar percentages to previous years were maintained. Private financing, via companies, destined 767.4 million euros, 55.9% of the total; 493.0 million came from public funding, 35.9% of the total, and 34.7 million came from higher education, 2.5% of the total, with 70.9 million coming from foreign sources, 5.2%, and 5.9 million, or 0.5%, from various non-profit organisations.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62
Further press releases on Technological Development and Scientific Research Statistics
Technological Development and Scientific Research Statistics Databank