Spending on innovation is a driving force behind the development of productive activity. In the year 2000, the Region of Murcia was investing 152.137.000 euros, which accounted for 1.50% of the national total of 10,174,259,000 euros. In 2016 the investment had grown to 193,411,000 euros, but the percentage share in the national total dropped to 1.40%, although according to the INE survey in 2019 it has significantly recovered the percentage of expenditure to 1.80%.
The publication by the INE in December 2020 of expenditure on innovative activities, as shown in the table, has led to a significant growth in expenditure on innovation in the Region and stands at 356,284,000 euros1.80% of the national total expenditure of 19,389,865,000 euros, which is an important step forward, but still a long way behind communities such as Valencia, which contributed 7.80%.
INE data show that the communities with the highest expenditure on innovative activities in 2019 were Madrid with 28.80% of the national total, followed by Catalonia 27.10% and the Basque Country with 8.80%. The average growth rate was 3.80% and the growth of expenditure in the Region was 1.00%.
In the expenditure on innovative activities by activity at national level, of the total of 19,389,865,000 euros, the following corresponds to Agriculture 193,129,000, which represents a growth rate of 2.30% over the previous year, at a rate of 1.00%. Industry 9,067,741,000, which represents a negative annual rate of -059%, at a rate of -059%. Construction 1.50% with 287,239,000 euros, with an annual rate of 55.00% showing the recovery of this sector and to the Services 9,841,757,000, which represents a growth rate of 7.40% over the previous year, making it the sector with the highest investment.
The distribution of expenditure on innovative activities in 2019 by branch of activity shows that motor vehicles accounted for 10.40% of expenditure on innovation, R&D services 9.90%, programming, consultancy and other computer activities 8.30%, financial and insurance activities 7.90%, commerce 6.90%, pharmacy 6.80% and telecommunications 6.30%. Activities whose implementation and development in the Region is much weaker than at national level.
The percentage of innovative companies by autonomous communities in companies with 10 or more workers, at national level the percentage in the period 2016-2018 stood at 20.00% and in the Region at 19.80%, was 0.20 points behind the national average, but the data provided by the INE for the years 2017-2019 show that despite having grown 0.40 points and standing at 20.20% of the national average, the negative differential went from 0.20 to 0.60 points.
These data confirm the need to boosting the transformation of the productive structure The region's growth potential is being directed towards sectors with greater added value and which are fundamental for economic growth and employment. This is why there is a need for a great regional agreement to face the challenges and transform the current weaknesses in infrastructures and productive sectors into strengths in order to take advantage of all its potential for growth and its strategic location in the European Union. Mediterranean Arc. This is the main challenge facing the Region and its achievement will lead to a new future. www.angelmartinez.es
