Mind the gap: Why bridging R&D spending divides is hard

Differences between EU member states pose difficulties in meeting targets for spending on R&D

With a new European Parliament comes new strategic priorities—or possibly a new document rehashing old ones in pursuit of a target that may be unrealistic. One key target, set in 2003 and reaffirmed by member states in 2021, is the EU’s aim to invest 3 per cent of GDP in R&D by 2030. 

Despite increasing its investment in R&D as a percentage of GDP over the past two decades, the EU remains far from achieving the 3 per cent goal. Latest figures from the EU statistical office, Eurostat, in 2022, show a spend of 2.24 per cent of GDP—up from 2.08 per cent in 2012. To reach the 3 per cent target, the EU would have needed to invest an additional €123 billion in R&D—more than the budget of an entire seven-year Framework Programme for R&I.