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).
RoBoost, Romanian Business Leaders’ program dedicated to the development of Romanian Tourism Brand, was the host of “Strategies and Influencers for the Future of Romanian Tourism” Conference at the RomExpo Tourisn Fair in Bucharest. The Conference brought together industry leaders, experts and influencers to discuss insights and opportunities for a future of...
Romanians welcome spring on March 1 with the centuries-old tradition of mărțișor, a red-and-white trinket symbolizing luck and continuity. To mark the occasion, Patricia Furstenberg, a Romanian-born author in South Africa and a Romania-insider.com reader, shares a story that “blends atmospheric storytelling with the deep-rooted symbolism of mărțișor, exploring how a simple string can carry the […]
The United States Department of Defense recently published a notice of intent regarding a government tender for the construction of special telecommunications links between the missile defense base at Deveselu, in Romania, and other bases in Europe. The project seeks to link Deveselu and bases in Italy and Germany. The former concerns the facilities in […]
Global Vision, a leading real estate company in Central and Eastern Europe, announced the appointment of Antoanela Comșa as deputy CEO. Comșa previously served as president of the Romanian Real Estate Investors Association (AREI) for two terms, later continuing as a member of the Association’s board. Recently, she also held the position of deputy general […]
The Romanian interim head of state, Ilie Bolojan, will be received on Saturday, March 1, by Moldovan president Maia Sandu during an official visit to Chișinău, as announced by the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Moldova. According to the official schedule, during the visit, Maia Sandu and Ilie Bolojan will hold a press conference […]
The latest study conducted by Coface Romania revealed that 7,274 new insolvency proceedings were opened in 2024, compared to 6,650 in 2023, marking a 9.38% increase. Among companies with a turnover above EUR 5 million, there was a 75% rise in insolvencies last year. Denied payment instruments have increased both in value (+30%) and number […]
