This map shows Research & Development (R&D) intensity (R&D expenditures as a share of the Gross Regional Product, GRP) in Europe at the regional level.

This indicator is of interest as the EU Commission highlights R&D investments as a Europe 2020 target, related to innovation.

The colours on the map show Europe’s regional R&D intensity in 2014. R&D intensity is measured by calculating research and development expenditure as a percentage of the region’s Gross Regional Product (GRP). Regions in green tones are well above the EU28 average of 2.0%. Regions in orange tones are well below the EU28 average. Regions with the light-yellow tone are on par with the EU28 average (1.5-2.5%).

Of the regions included in the map, 27 have a significantly high R&D intensity. These regions are limited to 9 countries: Germany (8), Sweden (6), Finland (4), Austria (2), Belgium (2), UK (2), Denmark (1), France (1) and Norway (1). Similarly, the 33 regions with moderately high R&D intensity, above the EU28 average but limited to a share between 2.5 and 3.5%, also represent just 13 countries: Germany (6), UK (5)Austria (3), Finland (3), France (3), Norway (3), Belgium (2), Czech Republic (2), Slovenia (2), Denmark (1), the Netherlands (1), Russia (1 - only north-western Russia included), Sweden (1).

High R&D intensity regions are thus limited to less than half of the countries included in the map, with a concentration in the Nordic countries and Central Europe. The lowest R&D intensity levels, below 0.5%, are found in a mix of countries across Europe, including some which also have the highest R&D intensity levels. This creates a mosaic pattern with a high level of discrepancy between the cutting-edge regions and much less innovative regions within the same countries. The majority of regions with low R&D intensity are located in Eastern Europe.

Map id: 0360

Read more about this research

Designer/Cartographer

Linus Rispling

Data source

Eurostat, NSI’s, World Bank

Published 31 March 2017

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