EUROPE 2020 - Industrial Competitiveness (oct. 2011)

Para establecer comparaciones entre países europeos o diseñar proyectos que reduzcan las diferencias, podemos tomar como referencia los indicadores del documento anual de la Comisión Europea (Empresa e Industria).

En 2010, la Comisión Europea publicó el documento "An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era" y los últimos Informes de Seguimiento son del 14 October 2011 -

Esto es lo que dice el último informe de España, en particular lo relativo al comercio internacional -
 

"Trade and industry specialisation

Manufacturing contributes less to Spain's economy than in the EU as a whole (12.7 % against 14.9 % in 2009).
At the detailed manufacturing industry level, Spain is specialised in marketing-driven industries (particularly in exports, processing and preserving of fish and fruit, manufacture of vegetable oil), capital-intensive (ceramic tiles) and labourintensive industries (cutting and finishing of stone).

At the more aggregated sector level, Spain is specialised in low innovation and low education sectors (construction, wearing apparel), however in exports it also specialises in medium-high innovation sectors such as motor vehicles and in low technology sectors such as non-metallic mineral products.

Spain has a high share of exports in the low price segment and a low share of exports in the high price segment, well below the EU average and its group of higher income countries specialised in labour intensive industries. While its R&D intensity is below average given its industrial structure, it is close to the average and higher than its group average.
 
Structural change
 
In terms of change, Spain has increased the relative value added in high education sectors (software, businesses services) but has decreased it in high innovation sectors (computers), as well as in labour-intensive low-skill (dressing and dying of fur) and technology-driven industries (communication equipment). Export specialisation in marketing-driven and labour-intensive industries (wearing apparel, knitted and crocheted articles) has increased further.
The impact of the crisis on the Spanish industrial structure seems to have been limited overall, with technology-driven industries suffering and all the other industry types gaining relative shares in the crisis. However, manufacturing as a whole suffered considerably, with production remaining at 21.6 % lower than its previous peak.

Spain experienced an appreciation of the real effective exchange rate by 16% over the last decade, which is slightly below the EU27 average (21%), indicating nevertheless a loss in cost and price competitiveness.
Nominal unit labour costs have increased by 29% between 2000 and 2010, compared to an increase of 14% in the EU27 and 20% in the Euro area.
Over the last decade, labour productivity per hour worked has gradually increased to about 10 percentage points above the EU27 average but still about 4 percentage points below the Euro area average.
 
However, along 2010 and in the first months of 2011, Spanish exports have shown relative strength, compared to the average of the EU27, which may mean competitive gains beyond prices.

Overall, Spain is in an unfavourable competitiveness position with mixed signals as to structural change dynamics. Spain’s public efforts to boost R&D have been rather unsuccessful until now and a recently adopted innovation strategy reflects those concerns and the need to a change of approach."