HIGH TECHNOLOGY SECTOR STATISTICS 2017

The high technology sector accounted for 8.8% of value added generated in the Basque Country in 2017 and 8.5% of employed personnel

Turnover increased by 5.8% and value added by 4.2% compared to the previous year

In 2017, the high and medium-high technology sector generated 8.8% of the total gross value added of the Basque economy, according to EUSTAT data, a figure equal to that of the previous year. This sector, which covers all activities with a sound technological base and a fast renewal of knowledge, generated 89,710 jobs, 8.5% of the total. The number of companies carrying out these activities was 4,789. They had a turnover of 20,306.7 million euros.

Compared with the previous tax year, the number of businesses decreased (63 fewer) but the number of individuals in work increased by 1,983, generating an average of 18.7 individuals per business dedicated to this activity in 2017, higher than the average registered in 2016 (18.1). The turnover figure increased by 5.8% and value added by 4.2%.

Regarding the contribution of this sector in relation to the whole of Spain, the high and medium-high technology sector in the Basque Country represented, in 2017, 5.4% of companies, 6.6% of employment, 7.6% of turnover and 8.5% of value added.

In 2017 companies in the high technology and medium-high technology sector accounted for 45.4% of those carrying out R+D in the business sector and 70.9% of the total of internal expenditure

13.2% 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, representing 3.2% of all companies, accounted for 45.4% of those carrying out R&D in the business sector and, with 725.6 million euros, 70.9% of total expenditure on internal R&D by the business sector; a drop of 2.8 percentage points compared to the 2016 expenditure.

With regards to people working in R&D in this sector, it is worth noting that in 2017 there were 9,183 individuals employed in “full-time equivalent positions”, of which 2,887 were women. This figure represented 69.8% of personnel dedicated to R&D in the business sector, or 49.4% if compared to personnel who are dedicated to these activities in all sectors. Of the aforementioned total, 5,918 belonged to the category of researchers, 31.2% being women, 77 more than in 2016, reaching a figure of 1,847.

Regarding innovation, as with R&D, there were significant differences between the total for all sectors and for the high and medium-high technology sector. In 2017, 41.7% of establishments in the sector were innovators compared to 10.9% of the total for all sectors. For establishments with 10 or more employees these percentages reached 56.8% in the former case and 27.3% in the latter.

High and medium-high technology establishments contributed a total of 1,285 million euros to innovation activities in 2017, 48.2% of total expenditure. Of this expenditure, 1,116.7 million corresponded to establishments with 10 or more employees, which was 49.7% of the total expenditure by companies of that size on this activity.

This sector allocated a greater proportion of resources towards R&D+i and e-commerce than the average for all sectors as a whole

It was also clear that the high and medium-high technology sector allocated a greater proportion of resources towards R&D+i than the other sectors, 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 5.71% compared to 1.56% for all economic sectors as a whole. In the case of internal R&D, the ratio was 3.53% for the sector and 0.80% for all the economic sectors.

The use of Information & Communications Technology (ICT) is extremely commonplace amongst the companies in this sector and e-commerce is more developed than in the total of all the sectors. In 2017 46.2% of establishments in this sector made electronic purchases, compared to 23.0% of those in all sectors as a whole. This year, 10.5% of sales in the technological sector were electronic, whilst in the case of all sectors as a whole, this figure was 6.8%. Hence, what we define as “e-commerce” is offered by 48.0% of establishments belonging to the high or medium-high technology sector, as opposed to 25.1% of all establishments as a whole.

On the other hand, the impact of this sector on the foreign trade of goods was not particularly significant. Whilst exports accounted for 769.3 million euros out of a total of 24,109.9 million, imports stood at 783.0 million out of the 18,707.9 million of total imports, accounting for 3.2% and 4.2% respectively.

Amongst the most common products in these exchanges, Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (41.6%), Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (18.7%) and Electronic Material, Radio, TV, and Communications Equipment (12.5%) stood out in exports. Of particular note in imports were Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (32.5%), Electronic Material, Radio, TV and Communications (26.3%) and Machinery and Scientific Instruments (15.8%).

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: The high technology statistics sector

For further information:

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

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