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).
Romania aims to add 2,500 MW of new capacity to its energy system by 2025, through investments in new energy-producing facilities and other projects co-financed with European funds. The government is eyeing facilities at Iernut, Mintia, Răstoliţa, and Năvodari for investment. “Energy is the heart of the economy. Without reliable and cheap energy, there is […]
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday, January 7, that the Romanian state must return 17,000 hectares of land to the Borșa Landowners’ Association within 12 months of the decision becoming final. The claimants in the case are 53 Romanian citizens whose land was confiscated by the communist regime. The Court found a […]
Dacia Sandero will most likely be the best-selling car in Europe in 2024, according to preliminary data covering 97% of sales in the EU, European Free Trade Association countries, and United Kingdom. Looking at the provisional rankings, the Sandero leads the Top 10 with 247,210 units sold in the first 11 months of 2024, followed […]
NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 is set to bring thousands of soldiers to the alliance’s eastern flank countries like Romania and Bulgaria, with the UK contributing a sizable force to the military show of strength. The exercise, taking place throughout January and February 2025 and reuniting forces from 10 NATO countries, is meant to practice […]
The first fixed speed detection devices have been installed on Romania’s A1 and A2 highways and the national road DN2 in Vrancea County as part of the e-SIGUR system. The offending drivers will have fines sent to their homes. The e-SIGUR system will monitor the main roads in Romania, aiming at higher degrees of safety. […]
A Hilton Garden Inn hotel is scheduled to open in Craiova, in southern Romania, in 2026, after local company Restaurant President signed a franchise agreement with international hotel group Hilton. The hotel will have 179 rooms, a restaurant, a fitness center, and several conference rooms, the local company announced. "Addressing both business tourists and those […]
