Total expenditure on Research and Development amounted to €140.2 million in 2024
The R&D expenditure was primarily dedicated to Basic Research, which accounted for 42.3 per cent of total R&D in 2024, followed by Applied Research (30.7 per cent) and Experimental Development (27.0 per cent)
by Paul Cocks
During 2024, an increase in total expenditure on R&D activities of €19.2 million, or 15.8 per cent, was registered, according to data published by the National Statistics Office. The Business Enterprise sector contributed 70.8 per cent to total R&D, whereas the Higher Education and Government sectors contributed 27.2 and 2.0 per cent respectively.
The R&D expenditure was primarily dedicated to Basic Research, which accounted for 42.3 per cent of total R&D in 2024, followed by Applied Research (30.7 per cent) and Experimental Development (27.0 per cent).
Both the Business sector and the Government sector reported an increase in R&D expenditure compared to 2023. The highest increase in outlay of €21.5 million was registered under the Business sector whilst the Government sector increased by €0.8 million. The Higher Education sector reported a decrease of €3.2 million. Labour costs represented 67.0 per cent of total R&D expenditure, followed by Other recurrent expenditure (24.3 per cent) and Capital expenditure (8.7 per cent).
The highest R&D expenditure by scientific field was recorded in Engineering and technology, which accounted for 56.1 per cent of total expenditure, followed by Medical sciences (15.8 per cent) and Natural sciences (11.1 per cent). Most of the R&D activity in Engineering and technology and Medical sciences was undertaken in the Business Enterprise sector, whereas research in relation to Social sciences and Humanities was mainly carried out by the Higher Education sector.
Year-on-year comparisons show that the highest increase was registered in Engineering and Technology (€16.7 million), followed by Medical sciences (€9.7 million). These increases outweighed a decrease of €11.4 million in Natural sciences.
Each sector mostly funds its own research, supplemented by foreign funds. R&D in the Business Enterprise sector is mainly funded by local business enterprise funds, General university funds are directed to the Higher Education sector and Direct government funds service the Government sector. Foreign funds for R&D reached €10.2 million, or 7.3 per cent, of total funds.
R&D Employment
3,760 employees were engaged in R&D work, of whom 2,148 spent a portion of their time on R&D projects, while the remaining 1,612 employees dedicated their entire working time on R&D projects. The highest R&D employment was registered in the Business Enterprise sector, at 1,864 employees, followed by the Higher Education sector, with 1,800 employees.
Male employment was predominant among researchers and technicians. Females accounted for 36.0 per cent of total R&D employment.
With regard to R&D employment by major field of science, the highest employment was recorded in Engineering and technology with 1,906 employees, followed by Social and Natural sciences, with 634 and 459 employees respectively.
R&D Government Budget Allocations
The Government Budget Allocations for R&D (GBARD) for 2025 amounted to €42.3 million, a decrease of €0.3 million when compared to 2024. The highest GBARD outlay was recorded in General advancement of knowledge: R&D financed from General University Funds of €25.2 million.
