In Portugal and Spain, only 6% of PhD holders work in the business sector. There is a broad margin for improvement in the relationship between science and business.

Research and innovation in Portugal and Spain have developed along parallel paths, albeit with some distinctive features. 

The model of governmental support for business R&D differs between Portugal and Spain, with a predominance of indirect support in Portugal`s case and direct support in that of Spain

While the participation of female PhD holders in Portugal is situated above the EU‑27 average in all fields of knowledge considered, in Spain the participation of female PhD holders is situated below the European average in the fields of art, humanities and social sciences.

In Portugal and Spain, the proportion of innovative companies, and the degree to which these collaborate with other companies and organisations, is below the EU-27 average

In 2019, the percentage of total public spending assigned to R&D was 0.82% in Portugal and  1.24% in Spain, both below the EU-27 average.

Despite growth in the last 10 years, the relative position of Portugal and Spain, with regard to patent applications, is a long way behind that of countries that are leaders in innovation.

Does Portugal attract more talent than Spain? In 2020, the attraction of international talent was situated above the European average (18.7%) in the case of Portugal (29.1%) and below the average (17.2%) in the case of Spain

Who invents most: men or women?  The proportion in Portugal is one out of every four and in Spain, one out of every fiver. Do they exceed the European average?

Spain stands at the head of the countries of the EU-27 in the global computation of digital society indicators (connectivity, Internet use, etc). Portugal, however, is situated at the tail end.

Portugal is in an intermediate situation in relation to the leading countries in environmental innovation, whereas Spain is among the leading countries.

Who publishes most: men or women? The percentage of women who publish in the STEM areas in Portugal and Spain is higher than the European average, which reflects how the proportion of women researchers in the academic sector exceeds, in turn, the European average.

Who invents most: men or women?  The proportion in Portugal is one out of every four and in Spain, one out of every fiver. Do they exceed the European average?