Eib Investment Survey 2022 European Union Overview

This unique insight into the corporate investment landscape in the European Union examines companies' finance needs and the constraints they face. The 2022 edition delves into the aftermath of the economic shock produced by the COVID-19 crisis and the readiness of firms to cope with the new massive shocks that are testing corporate resilience. The report assesses how response and recovery programmes put in place by the European Union and by national governments have helped firms, but also shows how firm perceptions of investment conditions are overshadowed again by recent events. In addition, the EIBIS EU overview presents firm reactions to outstanding structural transformation needs and more specifically the extent to which European firms are addressing the need to make their businesses more green and digital. It also highlights how European firms counter sudden shocks, for example by assessing their responsiveness to international trade disruptions. 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 States. This overview provides the aggregated results for the European Union.

This unique insight into the corporate investment in the European Union examines companies' finance needs and the constraints they face. The 2023 edition also provides insight into the pressing issues facing firms, such as climate change, high energy costs and the green transition. The survey, which has been administered since 2016, covers about 13 000 firms across the European Union, including a small sample of US firms.

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.

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.

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 coronavirus crisis accelerated the digital transformation of Europe's economy. Before the pandemic, cutting-edge digital technologies were primarily used by the most innovative and modern firms. The COVID-19 crisis, however, brought the digital transformation to the larger society — and made digitalisation integral to firms' survival. Digital firms were better able to cope with the disruption unleashed by the pandemic, and they were less likely than non-digital firms to see sales decline significantly from 2020 onwards. Many of them used the crisis an opportunity to accelerate their digitalisation. The Digitalisation in Europe 2021-2022 report uses results from the EIB Investment Survey (EIBIS), conducted from April to July 2021, to shed light on the level of digitalisation among Europe's small and medium firms.

The European Union is closing the digital gap with the United States. More than half of European firms invested in digitalisation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are rapidly catching up with their US peers in implementing advanced digital technologies. Despite the progress, however, Europe is not well positioned in digital innovation, and it is at risk of developing dependencies in several critical technologies. Some key takeaways: Digitalisation has helped European firms adjust at a time of repeated economic shocks. Digital firms also tend to be more productive. Successfully managing the digital transition and taking advantage of its long-term benefits goes beyond technology adoption – it requires societal change. Firms' digitalisation depends on several factors, such as adequate digital infrastructure, competition-friendly regulation and labor market skills. The report, Digitalisation in Europe 2022-2023 : Evidence from the EIB Investment Survey, uses data collected from firms to shed light on the progress small and medium firms in Europe are making on digitalisation.

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.