Press Release 30/11/2017
The high technology sector accounted for 9.7% of value added generated in the Basque Countryin 2015, two tenths higher than the previous year
This sector is characterised by the use of ICTs and the high percentage of resources allocated to R&D&I, which is above the Spanish average
The high and medium-high technology sector, which covers all activities with a sound technological base and fast renewal of knowledge, comprised 4,787 companies with 85,124 jobs in the Basque Country in 2015, or 8.4% of those employed in the Basque economy, according to data prepared by EUSTAT. Furthermore, it generated 9.7% of total added value (5,992.9 million), and posted a turnover figure of 17,707.7 million euros.
Compared with the previous tax year, although the number of individuals in work increased by 705, the sector made up two tenths less of the economy as a whole, in terms of employment. In terms of value added, however, the sector increased its weight by 2 tenths, the result of growing above the average of the economy as a whole in 2015. The number of companies also increased (42 more), which means that the average size of companies in this sector in 2015 remained at 17.8 individuals, the same as in the previous year. As for the turnover figure, it increased by 4.9% in 2015 compared to the previous year.
14.4% of companies in the high technology sector carried out R&D activities, a percentage that is far higher than the 1.0% of the total for all sectors. Furthermore, this sector, which represented just 3.1% of companies, accounted for 43.4% of those carrying out R&D and, with 679.7 million euros, it spent 71.5% of total expenditure on internal R&D in the business sector. This means that the proportion of total expenditure on this sector increased by more than 2 percentage points compared to 2014.
With regards to people working in R&D in this sector, the figure for people in full-time work in 2015 stood at 8,990 (2,747 of whom were women), and 68.7% of these positions were provided by the business sector in R&D, or 49.4% if we take into account the positions provided by all the sectors. Going into further detail with regards to employment in this sector, there were 5,695 researchers in equivalent-to-full-time positions, of which 1,767 were women.
Regarding innovation, as with R&D, there were significant differences between the total for all sectors and for the high technology sector. In 2015, 33.7% of establishments in the high technology sector were innovators compared to 11.9% of the total for all sectors. If company size is taken into account, those with 10 or more employees recorded percentages of 58.0% in the first case and 28.2% for the total number of sectors.
Regarding expenditure on innovation, high technology establishments contributed 1,234.2 million euros, 50.5% of total expenditure. Of this expenditure, 1,126.0 million corresponded to establishments of 10 or more employees, which was 54.1% of the total spent by companies of this size.
It was also clear that the high technology sector allocated a greater proportion of resources towards R&D&I than the other sectors upon observing the innovation and internal R&D intensity ratios, i.e. the amounts that this sector spends compared to the turnover figure. Specifically, innovation intensity in this sector was 6.03 compared to 1.54 over the economic sectors as a whole. In the case of internal R&D, the ratio was 3.73 for the high technology sector and 0.80 for the economy as a whole.
Whereas the use of ICT technology is extremely commonplace amongst the companies in this sector, e-commerce, although more developed than in all 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 46.9% and those that carried out sales accounted for 12.3% compared to 23.9% and 6.5% respectively for the total of all sectors. Hence, 48.1% of high technology establishments engage in e-commerce, whereas it represents 26.4% of the total of all sectors.
On the other hand, the impact of the high technology sector on the foreign trade of goods was not significant. Whilst exports accounted for 885.2 million euros out of a total of 21,867.8 million, imports stood at 686.5 million out of the 16,835.6 million of total imports, accounting for 4.0% and 4.1% respectively.
Amongst the most common products in these exchanges, Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (49.7%), Electronic Material and Equipment (15,2%) and Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (11.3%) stood out in exports; and Electronic Material and Equipment (31.4%), Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (15.6%), Scientific Instruments (15.3%) and Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (14.6%) 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 seen in the indicators observed. The percentage of innovating companies was 58.0% in the Basque Country and 41.4% in Spain. Innovation intensity and R&D intensity were 5.89% and 3.65% in the Basque Country, whilst in Spain as a whole they accounted for 4.45% and 3.38% respectively. Companies that have an internet connection and a web page represent 93.4% in the Basque Country and 90.7% in Spain.
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 the Eustat Website. 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.es Tel. 945 01 75 62