The report comprises the 2,500 companies that have invested the most in R&D in 2019/2020. These companies are based in 43 countries and have invested a total of €904.2 billion (at least €34.7m in R&D each). The sample includes 421 companies based in the EU27, accounting for 21% of the total R&D analysed, 775 US companies (38%), 309 Japanese companies (13%), 536 Chinese (13%) and 459 from the rest of the world (15%).
From the research, it has emerged that companies in the EU27 have increased their investments in R&D for the 10th consecutive year: In 2019, they invested 5.6% more in R&D, compared to 4.7% in 2018. The sectors that lead the pathway for investments in R&D are health (BioNTech is among these companies), ICT and automobile. What is worth noticing is that the EU27 performed well because of the strong tech and industrial base, that is highly internationalised and diversified. However, US and Chinese based ICT and health sector companies are growing faster. Although the R&D growth rate of EU companies (5.6%) has increased, it is well below that of their Chinese (21%) and US counterparts (10.8%). EU figures are weakened due to the exclusion of UK companies.
From 2000 to 2016, the EU has produced around 60 thousand high-value green inventions, about 6 times more than China. The most part of such inventions are high-value inventions.
You can read at the report here.
Source: The International Network for SMEs - INSME
