EU countries have spent €56 billion of a huge pandemic stimulus package on research and innovation, a new report shows. But investments have differed widely, with some science laggards barely spending any on research.
In 2020, with the European economy ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU agreed to launch the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), €650 billion in grants and loans backed by an unprecedented level of joint debt.
Countries had to draw up plans in line with EU green and digital priorities on how they would spend this money and, in the end, 8.6% of it has gone towards research and innovation, a new report from the European Commission shows.
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