4.11.2019  Digitalisation and investment in intangible capital: the Spanish case within the EU Banco de España-European Investment Bank Pablo Hernández de Cos Governor  Ladies and gentlemen, Let me start by welcoming you to Banco de España for the conference Digitalisation and Investment in Intangible Capital: The Spanish Case within the EU, jointly organised with the European Investment Bank. For the Banco de España it is a great pleasure to collaborate with the European Investment Bank in co-organising a conference for the second time. Before going any further with my intervention, I would like to thank all of you for your attendance here today. The topic of this conference is very timely and appropriate. Digitalisation is a key development that is increasingly affecting all the sectors of the economy with the ability to significantly transform the functioning of companies and markets and the structure of the economy more generally. However, the final impact of digitalisation on various dimensions is highly uncertain. Digitalisation Digitalisation refers to the adoption of digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing, E-commerce, artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things and 3D printing. The impact of digitalisation on firms and the general economy comes through various factors. First, digitalisation reduces search, transportation and verification costs1. Second, it leads to increased automation of routine operations. Third, it enables new ways of organising production. Fourth, it may change the structure of the market, potentially affecting competitive pressures in some sectors.

Spain’s global position in terms of innovation and digitalisation Now let me give you some figures on Spain’s relative position in terms of innovation and digitalisation. According to Eurostat10, R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP stood at 2% in the EU in 2017, below the target of 3% of GDP set at “Europe 2020 strategy” and also below US levels (2.8%). Spain’s investment in R&D was lower than the EU average. It only accounted for 1.2% of its GDP in 2017 despite having been growing for the previous three years. According to COTEC11, Spanish companies fund the majority of their investment in R&D, around two thirds, with internally generated resources. Regarding external funding sources, venture capital and private equity are the most relevant ones. Another key element for innovation is the supply of human capital, i.e., the availability of high-skilled workers such as researchers. In this dimension, there is also an important gap between Spain and the EU average. In particular, according to Eurostat12, in 2017 Spain had 0.27 researchers per 100 employees in the private sector, while the EU average was 0.45. Regarding digitalisation, Spain is gradually improving its global position. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index, published by the European Commission13, that tracks the evolution of EU member states in digital competitiveness, Spain ranks 11th among the 28 countries of the European Union. The index comprises five indicators: connectivity, human capital, use of Internet services, integration of digital technology and digital public services.