Final results of the National Survey of Scientific and Technological Potential (IPCTN20)

The final results of the Survey on National Scientific and Technological Potential (IPCTN20) reveal that Portugal reached 3,236 million euros in total expenditure on R&D activities in 2020, which is equivalent to 1.62% of the national GDP and a slight increase compared to the provisional data, released in August, which pointed to a record of 1.58%. These definitive results confirm that in 2020, total R&D expenditure reached its highest level ever, growing by 8% (€244 million) compared to 2019, in a continuous growth of expenditure for the fifth consecutive year, which exceeds three billion euros for the first time.

This growth is particularly significant in the corporate sector, which grew by 17% in 2020 (i.e. 273 million euros). More than 4,300 companies registered R&D activities in 2020, which meant an increase of 541, representing 14% more compared to 2019.

The growth is associated with R&D expenditure by companies, which now represents 0.92% of GDP, totaling 1,844 million euros in 2020, representing 57% of total R&D expenditure.

The value of total expenditure on R&D corresponds to an increase of 8.1% compared to 2019. Portugal became the second country in the European Union in which absolute expenditure in millions of euros shows a higher growth rate.

The number of researchers in the workforce grew in 2020 with 10.3 researchers per thousand active workers, when in 2019 it was 9.6. There were 53,174 full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers registered, around 3,008 more than in 2019 (i.e. global growth of 6%),

Higher Education includes 28,740 FTE researchers, representing about 54% of the total, while companies include 21,979 FTE researchers, now representing 41% of the total. The number of researchers in companies increased by 2,759 FTEs, representing an increase of 13% in 2020.

The total number of human resources in R&D activities (i.e., total number of researchers, technicians and other professionals) reached 12.8 people (FTE) for every thousand active inhabitants, reaching 66,044 FTEs in 2020. The total number of human resources in R&D activities in Companies also increased, totaling 30,872 FTE in 2020, that is, 4,079 more than in 2019 (growth of 15).

These values are revealed by the definitive data from the Survey of National Scientific and Technological Potential (IPCTN) for 2020, published by the Directorate General of Education and Science Statistics (DGEEC), based on methodologies harmonized internationally by EUROSTAT and the OECD.

The National Scientific and Technological Potential Survey (IPCTN) is an annual census operation since 2007 (it was biennial since 1982), which constitutes the basis for official statistical information on human and financial resources allocated to R&D activities in Portugal.

Chart: source MCTES