Press Release 30/10/2014

HIGH TECHNOLOGY SCOREBOARD 2012

The turnover figure of the High Technology sector fell by 4.8% in the Basque Country in 2012

This sector includes 40.4% of companies and 67.8% of employed people who do R&D in the business sector

The High and Medium-High Technology sectors, which include those activities with a sound technological base and a rapid renewal of knowledge, reached a turnover of 17 billion 959.9 million euros in 2012, which was a drop of 4.8% with respect to the previous year, according to data prepared by Eustat.

This sector included 4,742 companies and 87,746 employed people, with drops in relation to the previous year - both in the number of companies and people employed - of 1.8% and 2.2% respectively. Furthermore, it generated wealth in terms of added value of 6 billion 134.7 million, 3.7% less than in 2011.

In the High Technology sector the percentage of innovating companies carrying out R&D exceeded the other sectors

14.1% of companies in the High Technology sector carried out R&D activities, a percentage far superior to the 1.1% of the total for all sectors. Furthermore, this sector, despite representing just 3.2% of companies, accounted for 40.4% of those implementing R&D and, with 644.5 million euros, carried out 61.9% of the total expenditure on internal R&D in the business sector.

With regards to personnel dedicated to R&D in this sector, in 2012 there were 9,110 individuals in equivalent-to-full-time positions (67.8% of those provided by the business sector as a whole), of which 2,752 were women. Going into further detail with regards to employment in this sector, there were 5,309 researchers in equivalent-to-full-time positions, of which 1,640 were women.

Regarding innovation, as with R&D, there were significant differences between the total for all sectors and that for the High Technology sector. In 2012, 31.8% of establishments in the High Technology sector were innovators compared to 11.6% of the total for all sectors. If company size is taken into account, those with 10 or more employees recorded percentages of 55.5% in the first case and 28.6% for the total number of sectors.

Regarding expenditure on innovation, High Technology establishments contributed 1 billion 243.3 million euros, 48.1% of total company expenditure. Of this expenditure, 1 billion 104.6 million corresponded to establishments of 10 or more employees, which was 50.7% of the total spent by companies of this size.

It was also clear that the High Technology sector destined a greater proportion of resources towards R&D&I than the other sectors, observing the figures spent both on innovation and on R&D with regards to the turnover figure (innovation and internal R&D intensity ratios). Specifically, innovation intensity in this sector was 6.5 compared to 1.6 over the economic sectors as a whole. In the case of internal R&D, the ratio was 4.0 for the High Technology sector and 0.9 for the economy as a whole.

Both the use of ICT technology and e-Commerce were more widespread in the High Technology sector than in the total for all sectorssector de Alta tecnología que en el total de sectores

As the use of ICT technology is extremely commonplace amongst the companies in this sector, e-Commerce, although more developed than in the other sectors, continued to have a modest implementation, above all in terms of sales. The establishments that made purchases via this method in the High Technology sector accounted for 39.2% and those that carried out sales accounted for 9.0% compared to 18.0% and 4.6% respectively for the total of all sectors.

On the other hand, the impact of the High Technology sector on the foreign trade of goods was not very significant. Whilst exports accounted for 756.7 million euros out of a total of 20 billion 971.2 million, imports stood at 510.2 million out of the 15 billion 824.6 million total imports, accounting for 3.6% and 3.2% respectively.

Amongst the most common products in these exchanges, Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (53.9%), Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (13,3%) and Electronic Material and Equipment (12.0%) stood out in exports; and Electronic Material and Equipment (31.9%), Scientific Instruments (16.8%), Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (16.8%) and Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (16.7%) in imports.

Lastly, if we compare High Technology sector data for the Basque Country with Spain as a whole in companies with 10 or more employees, differences can be appreciated in the indicators observed. Whilst the percentage of innovating companies, the intensity in innovation and the percentage of personnel in R&D are higher in the Basque Country for this sector, the proportion of expenditure on R&D is higher in Spain. Regarding the use of ICT technologies, the percentages obtained were very similar.

Methodological note:

The sectors that belong to high technology are those that, given their degree of complexity, require a continuous effort of research and a sound technological base. The activities included in this sector, according to the CNAE 2009, are listed on Web Eustat. Methodology file: High technology scoreboard

For further information:

Euskal Estatistika-Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel. 945 01 75 62