
Bratislava – In Slovakia, spending on research and development rose to 1.04% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year, though this figure still falls short of the European Union’s average of 2.25%. Consequently, Slovakia ranks 21st among EU member states. This information is derived from the recent weekly economic overview published by the Institute for Strategy and Analysis (ISA), which is based on Eurostat data, as reported by TASR.
The EU aims for countries to invest at least 3% of their GDP in science and research, with two-thirds of this funding expected to come from the private sector. Currently, only five countries meet this target. Slovakia has set a goal to increase its investment to 2% of GDP by 2030, having reached only 52% of that target so far. The institute noted that Slovakia particularly underperforms in terms of business sector investment, which stands at 0.6% of GDP compared to the European average of approximately 1.2%.
Last year, Sweden (3.6%) and Belgium (3.3%) were expected to allocate the highest percentages of their GDP to science and research, while Romania recorded the lowest investment at just 0.5% of GDP.
Between 2013 and 2023, funding for science and research increased in 20 EU member states, including Slovakia, where it rose from 0.82% to the current figure of 1.4%. Belgium and Poland are projected to experience the most significant growth over this ten-year span.
The ISA concluded its report by emphasizing the European Commission’s stance that investments in research and development enhance competitiveness and are vital for building a resilient and sustainable economy. (December 12)













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