The European Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital - and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation. These key findings, provide a short accessible summary of the main report's messages.
The Europe Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital – and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation. This document presents a summary of the key findings of the EIB Investment Report 2020/2021.
The European Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital - and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation.
The European Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital - and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation.
The Europe Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital – and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation.
The massive resources the European Union is unleashing to rebuild after COVID-19 present a unique opportunity to deal with climate change and improve the ability of firms and individuals to compete in a more digital world. The Investment Report 2021-2022 examines how government interventions helped support investment and enabled firms to weather the crisis. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2021. These key findings, provide a short accessible summary of the main report's messages.
The European economy is under pressure. Growth is slowing and competitive challenges are rising, all while EU firms navigate the demands of the green transition. Coordinated support from national governments and EU institutions proved critical after the COVID-19 pandemic, helping Europe to bolster its resilience to future shocks and spurring the investment needed to transform and modernise the economy. As a result, progress was made in digitalisation, energy efficiency, decarbonisation and reinforcing supply chains. The pace of change needs to accelerate, however, even as investment becomes harder to sustain. To remain competitive, the European Union and its members need to improve productivity, encourage innovation, address skill gaps, develop new technologies and supporting young, dynamic firms. The report, which is based on the EIB Group's annual Investment Survey, provides insights on how EU firms are dealing with these pressures, and whether they are taking the necessary steps to transform their businesses. These key findings, provide a short accessible summary of the main report's messages.
This unique insight into the corporate investment landscape in the European Union examines companies' finance needs and the constraints they face. The 2021 edition delves into the massive shock produced by the COVID-19 crisis, and the response and recovery programmes put in place by the European Union and by national governments. The report assesses the extent to which European firms are addressing the need make their businesses more green and digital. The survey is based on interviews with 12 000 companies across the 27 European Union countries, and it includes a benchmark sample from the United Kingdom and United States. This overview provides the aggregated results for the European Union. Results for individual countries will be published in January 2022.
The European Union's COVID-19 recovery plan could be the impetus businesses need to invest in climate measures and prepare for the transition to a net-zero carbon economy. Our newest climate report looks at how firms' view these twin challenges and their preparedness to meet them. Firms are more aware of the physical risks posed by climate change, but less aware of the risks caused by the transition to clean energy. Almost half of EU firms surveyed are investing in climate change measures, compared with roughly one-third of US firms. Uncertainty over regulation and taxation continues to hamper climate investments. To green its economy, Europe needs a comprehensive strategy that will provide businesses with the guidance they need to invest in climate preparedness and the energy transition.
Less than two years after the pandemic hit Europe, EU real gross domestic product (GDP) is back to precrisis levels, with the third quarter of 2021 marking a return to the level seen in the fourth quarter of 2019. Thanks to a rapid, large-scale and comprehensive policy response, the crisis seems to have left fewer scars than originally feared. At the microeconomic level, policy intervention prevented major disruption, but the resilience of firms and jobs to a full phasing out of support has yet to be tested, and further scarring may yet become apparent. At the macroeconomic level, uncertainty remains about the effect of new waves of the pandemic and the eventual phasing out of emergency economic measures across Europe, as well as the design of the new policy normal. Looking forward, the risk of a recovery that is asymmetric for individuals, firms and countries remains. Meanwhile, the challenges of the climate transition and digitalisation have become more urgent than ever, and the recovery offers an opportunity to address them. This report looks back at the impact of the pandemic on individuals, firms and countries within the European Union. It also looks forward, at how to use the recovery as a springboard for transformation. Keeping an eye on investment, it looks at the effectiveness of policy support and assesses evidence of post-pandemic scars. It examines how European firms are using the pandemic and the recovery as an opportunity to prepare themselves for a changing world. It also discusses the role of public support in ensuring a just recovery, preventing rising inequalities. While the swift policy action implemented so far prevented an economic depression, the recovery requires further coordinated efforts across Member States. To prevent an asymmetric recovery and raise long-term growth prospects, the following priorities are key: Maintain the momentum on high-quality public investment, assuring the implementation and maximum impact of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, while avoiding abrupt fiscal adjustments that may hinder the recovery. Catalyse private investment through risk-sharing instruments to mitigate ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, including a shift from generalised support for firms to targeted incentives for transformation, particularly for digitalisation and the climate transition. Create the conditions for an acceleration of the digital transformation of the EU economy, with supportive infrastructure, information security and data governance, an acceleration of digitalisation in the public sector and an intensified focus on training and skills. Reinforce climate policy guidance and implement regulatory proposals to close the remaining gaps in the European Union's decarbonisation strategy, including plans for the energy transition and the further integration of the EU energy markets, and provide the right incentives to capitalise on EU leadership in climate-related innovation.
