“Paisaje después de la batalla”: The crude reality of Spanish R&D investment in period 2010 – 2013

by biofisica · Published 22/01/2015 · Updated 08/11/2016

The crude reality of Spanish R&D investment in period 2010 – 2013

Jesús Salgado, ICMol (Valencia).

The crudest consequence is the reduction of the number of Scientists employed: 11,429 less (8.5%) than in 2010, leaving the rate of R&D Scientists in Full Time Equivalent (FTE) in a weak 0.72% of the total employed population in Spain (1.19%, considering all R&D personnel). According to Eurostat 2009 edition, in 2003-2005 the rate of R&D personnel (head count) in EU-27 was 1.45 %. For the case of Spain this rate was 1.49% in the same period.

The Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) has just published today the figures of R&D investment in 2013 (definitive results). The coldness of numbers speak by themselves. The expenditure dropped dramatically with respect to 2012, both globally (-2.8%) and by all evaluated economic sectors: Business Enterprise Sector (-2.6%), Public Administration (-4.7%) and Higher Education (-1.8%). There are, however, large differences between Autonomous Communities within Spain. Thus, while the reduction reached more than -12% in Castilla-León, Cantabria and Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid showed almost no change (~0%) compared to 2012. Extermadura was the only Region increasing the R&D effort, by +0.9%.

The total expenditure is the lowest since 2006! These figures correspond to a 1.24% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while the average in the EU is ~2%. There are also large differences between Autonomous Communities: Top cases are País Vasco (2,09%), Navarra (1,79%), Comunidad de Madrid (1,75%) and Cataluña (1,50%), in contrast to Baleares (0,33%), Canarias (0,50%) and Castilla-La Mancha (0,53%).

But the crudest consequence is the reduction of the number of Scientists employed: 11,429 less (8.5%) than in 2010, leaving the rate of R&D Scientists in Full Time Equivalent (FTE) in a weak 0.72% of the total employed population in Spain (1.19%, considering all R&D personnel). According to Eurostat 2009 edition, in 2003-2005 the rate of R&D personnel (head count) in EU-27 was 1.45 %. For the case of Spain this rate was 1.49% in the same period.