Press release 30/08/2023

HIGH TECHNOLOGY SECTOR STATISTICS 2021

The high and medium-high technology sector generated 95,412 jobs, 8.7% of people employed in the Basque Country in 2021

This sector spent 73.2% of total internal expenditure on R&D and accounted for 44.4% of companies that carried out R&D

The high and medium-high technology sector (HTS) generated 95,412 jobs during 2021, 8.7% of total jobs in the Basque Country, following growth of 1.8%, according to Eustat data. The number of companies carrying out these activities was 5,033, with a total turnover of 21,812 million euros. This sector, which covers all activities with a sound technological base and a fast renewal of knowledge, contributed 8.6% of the total gross value added of the Basque economy.

As regards the high and medium-high technology sector in Spain, the Basque Country accounts for 5.4% of companies and generates 7.9% of its GVA. If we only take into account the manufacturing industry, the weight of this sector is greater, accounting for 7.1% of companies and 10.2% of value added.

Compared to the previous tax year, all the key figures improved. Thus, both the number of companies and the number of jobs rose by 1.8%, turnover increased by 10.0% and value added by 5.3%, resulting in an average size in 2021 in companies dedicated to this activity of 19 people employed.

13.1% of companies in the high and medium-high technology sector carried out R&D activities, a percentage that is far higher than the total for all sectors (1.0%). Furthermore, this sector, representing 3.3% of total companies, accounted for 44.4% of those undertaking R&D in the commercial sector and, with 934.0 million euros, carried out 73.2% of the total expenditure on internal R&D in the commercial sector.

With regards to people working in R&D in this sector, it should be pointed out that in 2021 there were 10,542 people employed in “full-time equivalent jobs (FTE)”, 70.8% of personnel dedicated to R&D in the commercial sector, or 50.7% if the comparison is made with personnel dedicated to these activities across all sectors. There were 3,358 women, representing 31.9%. Of the total number of personnel in full time equivalent jobs, 7,039 belonged to the category of researchers; 2,301 were women (32.7%).

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 2021, 33.5% of establishments in this sector were innovators compared to 19.9% of the total for all sectors. For establishments with 10 or more employees these percentages reached 55.6% in the first case and 32.6% in the second.

High and medium-high technology establishments spent a total of 1,654 million euros on innovation activities in 2021, more than half of the total expenditure of all sectors, specifically 54.6%. Of this expenditure, 1,531 million corresponded to establishments with 10 or more employees, which was 58.4% 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 6.47% compared to 1.69% for all economic sectors as a whole. In the case of internal R&D, the ratio was 3.84% for the sector and 0.92% for all the economic sectors.

Likewise, both the use of Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and e-commerce are much more widespread amongst the companies in this sector than in the total of all sectors. In 2021, 53.8% of establishments in this sector participated in e-commerce compared to 28.0% of those in all sectors as a whole.

These percentages were determined by the 51.4% of the establishments in this sector that made online purchases, compared to 25.0% of establishments that made online purchases across all sectors; and 14.7% of establishments in the technology sectors that made online sales, a figure that stood at 8.3% in the case of all sectors.

However, the impact of this sector on the foreign trade of goods was not particularly significant. Whilst exports accounted for 862.2 million euros out of a total of 26,021.9 million, imports stood at 665.0 million out of the 21,282.4 million of total imports. These figures represented 3.3% and 3.1%, respectively, out of total exports and imports.

Standing out among the most common products traded in terms of exports were: Machinery and Mechanical Equipment (40.1%), Arms and Ammunition (17.1%), Manufacture of Aircraft and Spacecraft (16.9%) and Electronic material, Radio, TV, and Communications Equipment (12.7%). Of particular note in imports were Electronic Material, Radio, TV and Communications Equipment (37.8%), and Scientific Instruments (21.0%), with none of the remaining categories reaching 10%.

Turnover in the high and medium-high technology sector increased by 24.6% since 2010

From a more long-term perspective, since 2010, this sector has continuously increased its contribution from 2015 until 2020, which was the year that marked the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It recovered in 2021, until almost achieving the maximum figures obtained in 2019 as regards turnover and gross value added and obtained the highest figures of the series in respect of numbers of companies and jobs.

Since 2010, turnover in the HTS sector has been above 16,800 million euros, having exceeded 20,000 million in 2017 and reaching its record in 2019 with 22,430 million. However, in 2020 this figure dropped to 19,836 million going on to recover in 2021 with 21,812 million, 10% more than one year before and up 24.6% in respect of 2010.

For the same period, 2010-2021, the total number of employed people in HTS companies saw a rise of 3,898 people, after having been below 90,000 between 2011 and 2017. During the last year of this analysis, the total figure reached 95,412 people in employment, the highest figure of the series, exceeding that recorded in 2010 by 4.3%.

In turn, during the last 11 years the number of High and Medium-High technology companies has remained above the threshold of 4,600, with percentages out of the total of Basque companies standing around 3%, going from 2.9% in 2010 to 3.3% in 2021. In absolute numbers, this translates to 203 more HTS companies than in 2010.

Lastly, the gross value added stood at 6,728 million in 2021, 621 million more than in 2010, having always remained above 5,700 million. In this case, as in Turnover, the record was reached in 2019, with 7,011 million euros (14.8% more than in 2010).

Methodological note:

The sectors that belong to the high technology sector are those that, given their degree of complexity, require an ongoing research effort 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