Considerations regarding the expenses in the research and development sector of the European Union

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the situation of the expenses (material resources) in the research - development and innovation (RDI) sector in the European Union, over the period 2000-2014. It examines their evolution in the considered period, as measured by expenditure intensity in the field, being revealed the gap between the EU and other states competing on the international market, i.e. the US, Japan and South Korea, showing that EU lags behind these countries. Outlook for material resources of the EU are determined by trends of new scientific and technical revolution and the transformations that the new technologies (mainly digital) will produce in the human society as a whole. Article reveals the conclusions that can be drawn from the undertaken analysis, mainly that the European Union RDI sector requires an increased allocation of funds in the next period to achieve social objectives assumed by policy makers at EU and national level.

Keywords

• EU
• research-development sector
• material resources
• human resources
• evolution
• perspectives