In 2020, the Member States of the EU spent around €311 billion on research & development (R&D). This is a decrease of €1 billion compared with 2019 (€312 billion). The R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, stood at 2.3% in 2020, compared with 2.2% in 2019. However, this small increase is due to a decrease in GDP as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten years earlier (2010), R&D intensity was 2.0%. R&D is a major driver of innovation, and R&D expenditure and intensity are two of the key indicators used to monitor resources devoted to science and technology worldwide. The business enterprise sector continues to be the main sector in which R&D expenditure was spent, accounting for 66% of total R&D disbursed in 2020, followed by the higher education sector (22%), the government sector (12%) and the private non-profit sector (1%; data might not add up to 100% due to rounding). This information comes from data on R&D expenditure published by Eurostat today. In 2020, the highest R&D intensity was recorded in Belgium and Sweden (3.5% of GDP), followed by Austria (3.2%) and Germany (3.1%). At the opposite end of the scale, six Member States recorded a R&D intensity below 1% of GDP: Romania (0.5%), Malta and Latvia (both 0.7%), Cyprus, Bulgaria and Slovakia (all 0.9%). Over the last ten years, R&D intensity rose in 24 Member States, with the highest increase recorded in Belgium (+1.5 percentage points; from 2.0% of GDP in 2010 to 3.5% in 2020), Greece (+0.9 pp; from 0.6% to 1.5%), Poland and Czechia (both +0.7 pp; from 0.7% to 1.4% and from 1.3% to 2.0%, respectively). In contrast, R&D intensity decreased in three Member States; Finland (-0.8 pp; from 3.7% to 2.9%), Ireland and Luxembourg (both -0.4 pp; from 1.6% to 1.2% and from 1.5% to 1.1%, respectively).
Associates of the fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Șor were urged to vote for far-right candidate George Simion in the presidential elections in Romania back in May, according to the General Inspectorate of Police of the Republic of Moldova. Moldovan police made public several messages discovered on the phones of those close to Ilan Șor as […]
The month of July was nearly 2 degrees Celsius warmer than normal in Romania, with temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius in the southern Oltenia region and over 40 degrees Celsius in Transylvania. Eleven new heat records were set, and there were also intense rains as well as severe hailstorms, according to the climatological summary published by […]
Romania ranks last in the European Union in terms of circular material usage, with a rate of just 1.3%, according to 2023 public data analyzed by Clean Recycle experts. Comparatively, countries such as the Netherlands (30.6%), Italy (over 20%), and Malta lead the EU rankings. A circular economy is a model of production and consumption […]
A new edition of Art Safari will take place from September 5 to December 14 in Bucharest, featuring a diverse program of art exhibitions. Highlights include "Paris Pallady," showcasing over 70 works by Romanian artist Theodor Pallady alongside pieces by Henri Matisse, in collaboration with Paris museums Musée de l'Orangerie and Musée Henri Matisse, the […]
According to a recent announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania endorsed the Joint Declaration on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cables in a Global Digitalized World, in coordination with the United States and European Union partners. The diplomatic effort takes place as allies are concerned with sabotage incidents, cyberattacks, and other forms […]
The media and entertainment industry in Romania is projected to experience steady growth over the next five years, driven primarily by the expansion of digital segments. According to the latest PwC Global Telecommunications, Entertainment & Media Outlook 2025-2029 report, the sector is expected to grow at an average rate of around 2% annually, reaching a […]
