R&D activity inches up in Cyprus

Research and development activity is inching up from a low base, according to the results of the ad hoc survey carried out by the Statistical Service for the collection of data on scientific research and experimental development (R & D).
It found that total R & D expenditure in Cyprus for 2006 is estimated at EUR 61.4 mln, or 0.43% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Although this is tiny, it rose from EUR 54.4 mln or 0.40% of GDP in 2005 and EUR 46.5 mln or 0.37% in 2004.
Despite the increase the share R & D activities is the lowest in the EU.
The average share of R & D expenditure in GDP is 1.84% in the EU, ranging from lows of 0.43% in Cyprus, 0.45% in Romania and 0.48% in Bulgaria, to highs of 2.51% in Germany, 3.45% in Finland and 3.73% in Sweden.
By sector of performance, the higher education institutions accounted for EUR 25.3 mln or 41.3% of total R & D expenditure; the government for EUR 17.6 mln or 28.6%; the business enterprises for EUR 14.0 mln or 22.7% and the private non-profit institutions for EUR 4.5 mln or 7.4%.
In the business enterprise sector, computer and related activities constituted the principal source of R & D activity, with a total R & D expenditure of EUR 5.2 mln, while of particular importance was also the contribution of the manufacturing industry (and particularly the manufacturers of chemicals and chemical products) with EUR 4.4 mln.
The biggest part of R & D expenditure was devoted to the natural sciences (EUR 20.8 mln), while engineering and technology absorbed EUR 12.1 mln, the social sciences EUR 10.3 mln, the agricultural sciences EUR 9.8 mln, the humanities EUR 4.7 mln and the medical sciences EUR 3.6 mln.
About 45.6% of R & D activity in 2006 was financed from government funds (EUR 28.0 mln), compared with EUR 24.7 mln or 45.3% in 2005, while EUR 12.9 mln was drawn from the budget of the University of Cyprus and EUR 7.4 mln from sources from abroad (including EUR 5.9 mln from European Union funds).
The contribution of the private sector was EUR 13.1 mln, compared to EUR 12.0 mln in 2005.
The number of persons engaged in R & D activities in 2006 stood at 2,534, compared to 2,470 in 2005.
In full-time equivalent terms, this number is estimated at 1.226 persons, of which 465 or 37.9% were women.
Of these persons, 26.5% were holders of PhD level degrees.