High and medium-high technology sectors

Introduction

High technology The sectors and products that make up the so-called can be generically defined as those that, given their degree of complexity, require a continuous effort in research and a solid technological base.

The INE offers information on high-tech indicators on the sectors and products considered high-tech, using as a basis the methodology agreed by the OECD and the adaptations carried out at the European level by Eurostat.

These indicators provide the following information: main economic variables and sectors, employment by sex and age, average earnings per hour and average earnings per worker and month in high and medium-high technology sectors, indicators R&D activities, indicators on technological innovation, indicators on information and communication technologies and electronic commerce.

One of these indicators is the number of people employed in high-tech sectors by age groups and sex, obtained from the results of the Labor Force Survey (EPA), based on annual averages. Knowing the number of employed in the high technology sector and the participation of women offers a vision of the dimension of the sector in the whole of the Spanish economy.

The high-tech indicators published by the INE include the number of full-time equivalent employees (FTE) dedicated to R&D tasks and the number of researchers in high and medium-high technology sectors, as well as the percentage of women in each of them, based on the Statistics on Scientific Research and Technological Development activities prepared by the INE. R&D personnel and researchers (% of women) are also included by sector of execution (public administration, higher education, companies, private non-profit institutions).

Spain is one of the 197 countries that signed the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, which are today at the center of the Government's vision and the State's action to obtain measurable results in 2030. These objectives are framed within the 2030 Agenda and will be translated into national objectives that pursue equality among people, protect the planet, ensure prosperity, and with this, leave no one behind.

The 2030 Agenda proposes among its priorities gender equality, sustainable economic growth, inclusive and equitable quality education, and the construction of resilient infrastructure, industrialization, and innovation. These objectives should be based, first of all, on eliminating gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all levels of education. Sustainable growth also implies significant innovation and development of reliable, sustainable, resilient, and quality infrastructures that must be implemented by 2030. As part of the global plan, industries will have to be reconverted to be sustainable and economic support doubled, technical and technological to the least developed countries so as not to leave them behind.

Definitions

Considering technology as the stock of knowledge necessary to produce new products and processes, high technology is characterized by a rapid renewal of knowledge, far superior to other technologies, and by its degree of complexity, which requires a continuous effort in research and a solid technological base.

For statistical purposes, the definition of high technology is carried out employing an exhaustive enumeration of the branches of activity (focus by sectors) and of the products (focus by-products) that are considered, at a given moment, of high technological content.

As of 2009, the new National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-09) approved by Royal Decree 47572007, of April 13, is used.

Data are provided on the percentage of women employed in high and medium-high technology sectors following the classification established by the OECD:

1. 1. High technology manufacturing sectors :
2. - Manufacture of pharmaceutical products
3. - Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
4. - Aeronautical and space construction and its machinery

2. Manufacturing sectors of medium-high technology :

- Chemical industry

- Manufacture of arms and ammunition
- Manufacture of electrical material and equipment; Manufacture of machinery and equipment nec; Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers, and semi
- trailers - Manufacture of other transport material except for shipbuilding; aeronautical and space construction and its machinery
- Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies

3. High technology or cutting edge services:

- Cinematographic, video, and television program activities, sound recording and music publishing; Radio and television programming and broadcasting activities; Telecommunications; Programming, consulting and other computer-related activities; Information Services
- Research and Development

The classification of sectors used in the European Union is NACE Rev.2.

The number of people employed in high and medium-high technology at the national level is collected from the Labor Force Survey and European data from the Eurostat European Labor Force Survey.

Among the high-technology indicators published by the INE, the personnel dedicated to R&D tasks in the high and medium-high technology sector, the percentage of women, and the personnel dedicated to R&D research in these sectors are included.

R&D staff and researchers are also included in full-time equivalent (% of women) by sector of execution (public administration, higher education, companies, private non-profit institutions).

Comments

Employed in high and medium-high-tech sectors. Percentage of women
According to the Indicators published by the INE, in 2019 the high and medium technology sectors employed 7.1% of the total employed in the Spanish economy. 29.0% of the total number of people employed in high and medium- sectors were women. In all branches of activity in the high-tech sectors, there is a greater representation of men.

 

In 2019, the highest female participation corresponds to the research and development sector (48.5%), followed by the high-technology manufacturing sectors (37.7%).

According to the information on Human Resources in Science and Technology published by Eurostat, if the percentage of women employed in high-tech sectors in Spain and the EU-27 in 2020 is compared, Spain has higher female participation than that of the EU-27 in manufacturing sectors, in high technology sectors (intensive manufacturing and services) and high and medium

R&D staff and researchers in high-tech sectors. Percentage of women
In 2019, of the total personnel employed in R&D in the high and medium- high-tech sectors, 30.8% were women.

In high-tech or cutting-edge services, the percentage of women employed in R&D was 32.7%. The percentage of women R&D researchers in the total of high and medium-high technology sectors in 2019 was 31.6% and in high-tech manufacturing sectors, the percentage was 36.3%.

Personnel and researchers employed in R&D (in FTE) by sector of execution. Percentage of women
By sectors of execution (public administration, higher education, companies, private non-profit institutions) according to the data of 2020, the highest participation of women in the total of personnel employed in R&D in equivalent to working hours Complete (FTE) corresponds to the public administration sector, with 53.7% women and second place to private non-profit institutions with 51.7% women.

Concerning researchers, in full-time equivalence, the highest female participation according to the data for 2020 corresponds to private non-profit institutions (50.8% of women) and the second place to the public administration sector ( 50.3% women).