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Final results of the Survey on National 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 of total expenditure on R&D activities in 2020, equivalent to 1.62% of national GDP and a slight increase from the provisional data, released in August, which indicated a figure of 1.58%. These final results confirm that in 2020, total spending on R&D has reached an all-time high, growing by 8% (244 million euros) compared to 2019, in a continuous growth in spending for the fifth consecutive year, which for the first time exceeds three billion euros.

This growth is particularly expressive in the business sector which grew by 17% in 2020 (i.e., 273 MEuros). More than 4300 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 spending by companies, which now represents 0.92% of GDP, for a total of €1,844 million in 2020, rising to 57% of total R&D spending.

The value of total spending 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 active population grew in 2020 with 10.3 researchers per thousand active, when in 2019 it was 9.6. There were 53,174 full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers registered, up about 3,008 from 2019 (i.e., overall 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 increases by 2,759 FTEs, representing a 13% increase by 2020.

Total human resources in R&D activities (i.e. total researchers, technicians and other professionals) reaches 12.8 persons (FTE) per thousand active inhabitants, reaching 66,044 FTEs in 2020. Total human resources in R&D activities in Enterprises also increased, totaling 30,872 FTEs in 2020, or 4,079 more than in 2019 (growth of 15).

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

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

Chart: source MCTES