While the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2014-2020, Horizon 2020, will start in a few months, this report provides an analysis of the Spanish participation to the FP7, the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe from 2007 to 2013.Thus, at the end of 2012, Spain ranked fifth in participating countries - behind Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy - in the current program, with 7119 participations (7.83% of the total) and a funding amount of € 2.07 billion got by Spanish teams (7% of the allocated total).
Detailed results between each of the four specific programs of the FP7 ("Cooperation", "Ideas", "People", "Capacities") and between thematic priorities or business lines, shows Spain's strengths and weaknesses in this program and indirectly, gives information on the R & D system's characteristics in the country.
In terms of Spanish R&D actors, the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) tops in a list which also includes most of the major Spanish universities with nearly 500 participations in late 2012.
Furthermore, private actors are in the majority with almost 56% of the total.
First of all, this result can be explained by the dynamics of Spanish SMEs with nearly 19% of national participation in the specific program "Cooperation" and a strong Spanish presence in specific actions for SMEs. And secondly, the structure of the Spanish research system which is based, in addition to research organizations and universities, on a large number of technology or research centers from private law, but most often created at the initiative of regional governments which significantly contribute to their funding. The Tecnalia Foundation, a private, non profit research and innovation organization, ranking second of Spanish participants, is a good example.
Regarding partner countries, France ranks only fourth behind Germany, the UK and Italy. The CNRS, CEA, INSERM, INRA and the INRIA are part of the main French entities collaborating with Spanish teams.
For more information, you can freely download the report (in French) by clicking on one of here-below links.