83% of Spanish companies expect to increase investment in innovation in 2027

According to the 8th International Innovation Barometer, prepared by Ayming and presented on October 7, 2026, 83% of the Spanish companies surveyed expect to increase their innovation budget in 2027. This proportion is above the global average of 78% and is the highest among the European countries included in the comparison. The figure is 88% in the United States and 80% in Belgium.

The study gathers the views of nearly 900 R&D&I executives and chief executives from 17 countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Among the European countries cited, 72% of companies in Germany, 69% in Italy and 68% in France anticipate an increase.

High expected spending coexists with differences in investment

The intention to increase budgets does not mean that all companies start from the same level of investment. The barometer indicates that 22% of Spanish companies allocate at least 10% of their revenue to innovation, compared with a global average of 20%. Another 35% allocate between 4% and 6% of their revenue.

At the lower end, 11% invest 3% or less of their turnover, four percentage points above the global average of 7%. The report thus describes an uneven landscape: alongside companies making a substantial investment effort, there is a group whose investment in innovation remains low.

AI, between productivity and the debate on employment

Artificial intelligence is among the factors driving investment: 37% of Spanish companies consider falling behind in key technologies such as AI to be the main risk of not continuing to innovate in the current geopolitical context. The barometer presents this concern as part of companies’ responses, not as a measurement of the technology’s future impact.

During the presentation, Francisco Marín, chair of Ayming’s advisory board and former director general of CDTI, argued that AI is having a negative impact on some junior-level roles, but said he did not expect job destruction in the medium term. He also maintained that these tools can help improve productivity and cited the adoption of low-cost AI in China’s productive sector as an example of making use of technology. These are Marín’s views, not conclusions demonstrated by the barometer’s investment forecasts.

Overall, the results show a strong intention to spend in Spain, but also significant differences in companies’ investment efforts. The projected increase for 2027 is an expectation among the companies surveyed: the report does not establish how much investment will ultimately grow or what effects it will have on productivity or employment.