Targeting the Digital Agenda for Europe: a new approach for estimating ICT R&D expenditures
Abstract
Purpose
The main goal of this paper is to create a methodology for estimating public research and development (R&D) expenditures on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the European Union (EU). The study further applies this methodology on business expenditures on R&D (BERD) data across all sectors and estimate ICT BERD within each of them. Then the study assesses the evolution of these expenditures in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) and its specific target to double them by 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
The study assumes that the share of public ICT R&D expenditures in total public R&D expenditures is similar to the share of ICT R&D labour costs. The study bases its estimation on government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D (GBAORD).
Findings
EU public ICT R&D expenditures grew steadily over the period 2004-2010 and in 2010 reached 5.9 billion. The study also estimates that the total EU ICT BERD in 2010 amounted to 15.8 billion. Regarding the DAE target about ICT R&D expenditures, the study shows that, in both public and private, the EU drops behind.
Research limitations/implications
The study estimates that substantial ICT BERD can be found also in non-ICT sectors.
Practical implications
The methodology allows for monitoring one of the DAE targets.
Originality/value
The methodology currently represents the only way for measuring public ICT R&D expenditures in the EU.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Received 29 September 2013 Revised 29 September 2013 Accepted 18 October 2013. The views expressed are those of the author and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating the official position of the European Commission. The author would like to thank Paul Desruelle, Marc Bogdanowicz, participants of the EuroCPR 2013 Conference, as well as two anonymous referees for their valuable comments.
Citation
Stančík, J. (2014), "Targeting the Digital Agenda for Europe: a new approach for estimating ICT R&D expenditures", info, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/info-09-2013-0048
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited