Cyprus R & D spending inches up in 2009

Total expenditure on research and development (R & D) in Cyprus reached an estimated EUR 83.0 mln in 2009, or just 0.49% of GDP according to an ad hoc survey by the Statistical Service.
This compared with EUR 73.4 mln or 0.42% of GDP in 2008 and EUR 70.1 mln or 0.44% of GDP in 2007.
The Statistical Service noted that despite the increase R & D expenditure in Cyprus continues to be low by EU standards.
The average EU expenditure on R & D is 2.01%. Cyprus is closer in expenditure to countries such as Latvia (0.46%), Romania (0.47%), Slovakia (0.48%), Bulgaria (0.53%) and Malta (0.54%).
The highest shares are recorded for Sweden (3.62%) and Finland (3.96%).
By sector of performance, the higher education institutions accounted for EUR 38.3 mln or 46.1% of total R & D expenditure.
The government accounted for EUR 16.9 mln or 20.4% and business enterprises for EUR 16.4 mln or 19.8%.
Private non-profit institutions accounted for EUR 11.3 mln or 13.7%.
In the business enterprise sector, computer programming, consultancy and related activities constituted the principal source of R & D activity with total R & D expenditure of EUR 7.1 mln.
The manufacturing industry, particularly the manufacturers of basic pharmaceutical products and preparations, was also important, with expenditure of EUR 5.0 mln.
The biggest portion of R & D expenditure was devoted to the natural sciences (EUR 33.4 mln).
Engineering and technology absorbed EUR 16.6 mln and the social sciences EUR 14.6 mln.
The agricultural sciences absorbed EUR 10.2 mln, the humanities EUR 5.1 mln and the medical sciences EUR 3.2 mln.
About 45.6% of R & D activity in 2009 was financed from government funds (EUR 37.8 mln), compared with EUR 29.4 mln or 40.0% in 2008.
Some EUR 19.4 mln was drawn from the budget of public universities and EUR 10.0 mln from sources from abroad (including EUR 8.3 mln from European Union funds).
Some EUR 15.7 mln constituted the contribution of the private sector, compared with EUR 15.6 mln in 2008.
The number of persons engaged in R & D activities in 2009 rose to 2,591, compared with 2,475 in 2008.
In full-time equivalent terms. this number is estimated at 1,266 persons. of which 516 or 40.8% were women. Of these persons. 33.7% were holders of PhD level degrees.