Italy is hard to become an innovative country. The expenditure in research and development (R&D) in 2023 grew by 7.7% reaching 29.4 billion euros, but its weight on the national economy did not improve, remaining stationary at 1.37% of GDP. Istat reveals it, underlining how the increase in absolute value has been counterbalanced by the growth of the GDP itself.
The North Traina, the South arranges
The investments are especially the companies, the real engine of product and process innovation. Universities and public bodies play a key role, while the contribution of non -profit institutions is growing.
The geographical distribution of expenditure draws a two -speed Italy. The center of gravity remains firmly in the north, with Lombardy in the lead. In the center, Lazio is an exception thanks to its strong public and university vocation. The South, despite shy signs of recovery in Puglia, Campania and Sicily, continues to serve a structural delay, highlighting a fracture that struggles to recompose.
The European gap
The Italian delay appears even more clear in comparison with the partners of the European Union. The expenditure in R&D in our country, stops at 1.37% of GDP, is well below the EU average of 2.3%. A significant gap if we consider that economies such as Germany and Sweden exceed the threshold of 3%, while France and the low countries travel permanently over 2%. Fill this distance is an absolute priority in order not to be cut out of the ongoing technological and digital transitions.
According to Istat estimates, the growth in R&D spending should also continue in the two-year period 2024-2025. The push is expected from the investments related to PNRR and to European innovation programs. The challenge, however, is not only of quantity: success will depend on the ability of the pass system to translate funds into concrete and effective projects, avoiding the risk of fragmentation and dispersion of resources.
The domain of large companies and multinationals
The resumption of investments in R&D in Italy has a very precise face: that of large companies. In 2023, in fact, the growth of 7.7% of the expenditure was not uniform, but highlighted an increasing gap between the different company dimensions. While companies with at least 250 employees increased investments by 7.3%, small (with less than 50 employees) have marked a further drop in 2.3%. The averages, for their part, show modest growth of 2.8%.
The weight of large companies on the total of entrepreneurial spending thus becomes increasingly overwhelming, reaching 73.1% (equal to around 12.5 billion euros). To consolidate this scenario is the predominant role of the multinational groups, to which the record figure of 83.1% of the entire R&D expenditure of Italian companies is attributable, for a total of 14.3 billion euros. In particular, foreign control multinationals (44.6% of expenditure) exceed Italian control (38.5%).
The driving sectors and the sources of financing
The sectors that guide the ranking of investments in innovation are the production of motor vehicles, machinery and other means of transport, which alone cover 38.4% of the expenditure. These are supported electronic, IT and pharmaceutical, with some sectors that record increases over 10%. The self -financing remains the main source for all companies, but for small realities, public and foreign funds acquire importance. For large companies, however, the contribution of foreign subjects is crucial, which covers 12.0% of the loan.
The data paint a picture of strong polarization: the ability of innovation remains concentrated in a few great realities, often integrated into chains of global value, while the fabric of SMEs struggles to keep up. A dynamic that risks accentuating inequalities in the Italian production system.
