Statistics on Science, Technology and Innovation includes Statistics on Research and Development, Innovation statistics and Statistics on high-technology industries and knowledge-intensive services (abbreviated to High-tech statistics).
Research and Development statistics (R&D) monitor the number and structure of R&D personnel by education, occupation and sex in head counts according to the state at the end of the year, and in full- time equivalent (FTE). Expenditure on R&D is surveyed in the structure of capital and current expenditure by source of funds, socio-economic objectives, sectors of R&D performance, fields of science and by R&D activities (basic research, applied research and development).
Innovation statistics pursues innovation activities of enterprises, which include product innovations, process innovations, organizational innovations and marketing innovations.
High-tech statistics presents data on selected indicators for high-technology and knowledge-intensive industries and data on foreign trade with high-technology products.
Science, technology and innovation play a key role during development of economy and society in order to maintain and increase the country's competitiveness and, therefore, monitoring of their status and development belong to main tasks of the EU. Statistical data comparable to EU statistics for this area are provided under the EC Regulation No 995/2012 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the European Parliament and of the Council No 10608/2003 concerning the production and development of Community statistics and science and technology. Survey methodology is based on the manuals of international organizations (Frascati manual for R&D statistics, Oslo manual for Innovation statistics.)
One of the five main objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy is to improve the conditions for research and development in particular in order to increase the overall level of public and private investment in this area to 3 % of EU GDP (1,2 % of SR GDP).
Development of the share of R&D expenditure in GDP* in %