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2.3R&D expenditure in the public sector

By Peter Viaene (EWI).

Globally the share of R&D spending by the public sector within total R&D spending stays stable between 2016 and 2021. R&D spending by the public sector (non-BERD = GOVERD + HERD + PNP) amounted to 2,920 million euros in 2021. About 41% of this amount was spent by public research institutes (GOV) and 57% by higher education institutions (HES). There is an increase in the R&D expenditure (in absolute terms) of the public sector in 2020 and 2021. The R&D intensity for the public sector (non-BERD as a % of GDP) in Flanders amounted to 0.99% in 2021. After a stagnation between 2012 and 2015, a steady increase between 2016 and 2021 can be remarked. When the total R&D intensity of the non-BERD is broken down by source of funds, 0.29% is funded privately and 0.69% by public funds (2021).

Figure 1. Evolution of the R&D spending from 2013 to 2021 in million euros (current prices)

GOVERDHERDPNPnonBERD€ 0€ 500€ 1000€ 1500€ 2000€ 2500€ 3000R&D spending current prices in million euros201320142015201620172018201920202021050010001500200025003000201320142015201620172018201920202021HERD: € 1.200 GOVERDHERDPNPnonBERD€ 0€ 500€ 1000€ 1500€ 2000€ 2500€ 3000R&D spending current prices in million euros201320142015201620172018201920202021050010001500200025003000201320142015201620172018201920202021 GOVERDHERDPNPnonBERD€ 0€ 1000€ 2000€ 3000R&D spending current prices in million euros2013201420152016201720182019202020210100020003000201320142015201620172018201920202021

The GOVERD and HERD (2021) can be broken down by different fields of science. For the GOV sector, this indicates the dominant position of engineering and technology (69.4%). For the HES sector, the most important fields of science are the medical sciences (31.9%), engineering & technology (17.9%). the natural sciences (17.4%) and the social sciences (16.2%). 

Figure 2. Evolution of R&D intensity for non-BERD from 2015 to 2021

HERDGOVERDPNPnonBERD0,00%0,10%0,20%0,30%0,40%0,50%0,60%0,70%0,80%0,90%1,00%1,10%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDP20152016201720182019202020210,000,100,200,300,400,500,600,700,800,901,001,102015201620172018201920202021 HERDGOVERDPNPnonBERD0,00%0,20%0,40%0,60%0,80%1,00%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDP20152016201720182019202020210,000,200,400,600,801,002015201620172018201920202021 HERDGOVERDPNPnonBERD0,00%0,20%0,40%0,60%0,80%1,00%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDP20152016201720182019202020210,000,200,400,600,801,002015201620172018201920202021

For the GOVERD, the most important source of funds in 2021 was abroad (54.6%), followed by government funding (38.8%) and thirdly the companies (7.5%). For the HERD, government funding was again the most important source of funds (69.4%), followed by the companies (14.0%) and abroad (8.7%). The proportion of the HERD that is supported by (domestic) companies for 2021 ranks higher internationally than any of the EU27 countries and is more than twice the figure for the EU27 as a whole. Only Germany has a similar proportion. In other words, companies are both an important client and an important source of funds for the research carried out at the Flemish higher education institutions.

Figure 3. International comparison of the funding of HERD by companies in 2021

0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%Percentage of funding by companiesFlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway02468101214FlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway 0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%Percentage of funding by companiesFlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway02468101214FlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway 0%5%10%Percentage of funding by companiesFlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway0510FlandersGermanyBelgiumthe NetherlandsEU27USAAustriaJapanSwedenFinlandFranceDenmarkNorway

* EU27: provisional figure; Norway: estimated value; Sweden: break in time series; USA: different definition
* Germany, the Netherlands, EU27, USA, Finland, France, Denmark, Norway: 2020; Belgium, Austria, Sweden: 2019

Source: OECD database, Main Science and Technology Indicators. 

For the R&D intensity of the HES, Flanders scores above France and the EU27 average. Norway (0.64%), the Netherlands (0.65%), Finland (0.69%), Austria (0.71%), Sweden (0.79%) and Denmark (1.03%) have a much higher R&D intensity for the HES. The R&D intensity of the GOV is higher in Flanders than in Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, France and the EU27 average. Flanders’ results are lower than Germany. In summary, for both figures, Flanders is maintaining its international position.

Figure 4. International comparison of the R&D intensity of HERD and GOVERD in 2021

HERDGOVERDUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,00%0,20%0,40%0,60%0,80%1,00%1,20%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDPUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,000,200,400,600,801,001,20 HERDGOVERDUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,00%0,20%0,40%0,60%0,80%1,00%1,20%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDPUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,000,200,400,600,801,001,20 HERDGOVERDUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,00%0,20%0,40%0,60%0,80%1,00%1,20%Percentage R&D expenditure of GDPUSAJapanEU27FranceFlandersBelgiumGermanyNorwaythe NetherlandsFinlandAustriaSwedenDenmark0,000,200,400,600,801,001,20

* Belgium, EU27, Austria: estimated value; USA, Germany (GOVERD), the Netherlands (GOVERD): different definition
* the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden: 2020

Source: OECD database, Main Science and Technology Indicators.