Brussels, 04/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - Investment in research and development (R&D) by EU-based companies increased by 2.6% in 2013. Surely this is good news, particularly as the economic situation does little to encourage investment. However, less encouragingly, the rise is less than the previous year's 6.8% and is well below the global average of 4.9% and hardly compares with the increases in the United States (5%) and Japan (5.5%).
The figures are from the European Commission's 2014 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, published on Thursday 4 December. The scoreboard reveals some troubling constants and some developments that are not without interest. 97% of all investment was made in just ten countries, in particular in Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The motor vehicle sector (especially Volkswagen) remains the one which invested most in R&D; weaker growth in the pharmaceutical and technology hardware and equipment sectors, however, lowered the EU average.
The Commission could only draw the conclusion that there is not enough investment in R&D. Yet, is it not paradoxical to come to this conclusion while at the same time dipping into the EU framework programme for R&D (Horizon 2020) to swell the great €315 investment plan (see EUROPE 11205)? No, quite the opposite, according to Research, Science and Innovation Commissioner Carlos Moedas. He says that the investment plan “will help to raise more private investment for riskier projects, benefiting R&D across Europe”. (JK)