Finland has largest R&D workforce

According to a recent Eurostat survey, in the EU, Finland has the most research and development personnel and researchers, as a percentage of total employment.

A recent Eurostat survey on R&D personnel in the EU-25 reveals that, in Finland, in 2003, 3.11% of all persons employed were active as researchers, the EU-25 average being 1.44% (France 1.73% and Germany 1.85%). As to the percentage of researchers in the business sector, Finland accounted for almost three times (1.13%) the EU-25 average (0.35%).

The survey results also reveal that in the largest EU countries, researchers are dependent on large companies to carry out their work. In France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, more than 60% of researchers in the business enterprise sector are employed in large enterprises with more than 500 employees. In Germany this percentage stands at 81%. In smaller countries such as Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Latvia or Slovakia, this proportion is well below 30%. In Latvia, the most (nearly 60%) researchers are active in small companies with fewer than 49 emplyees. 

With regard to science and gender, the survey reveals a particularly high percentage of female researchers in the Baltic countries – 53% in Latvia and 48% in Lithuania. Bugaria (47%), Portugal (44%) and Slovakia (41%) are also at the top of this ranking, in which France (28%) and Germany (19%) get scores below the EU average.

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