THE IMPACT OF INVESTMENTS IN CLOUD COMPUTING AND WEBSITES UPON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COSTS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

The accelerated digitalization of the private sector has led to a significant increase in investments in technologies such as cloud computing and websites, which are essential factors in business modernization and innovation support. This study analyzes the impact of investments in these technologies on research and development (R&D) expenses, using official data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INSSE). Investments in cloud computing offer advantages such as reduced operational costs, easy access to advanced IT infrastructures, and optimization of research and development processes, allowing companies to allocate more resources to innovation. At the same time, the creation and modernization of websites enhance firms’ visibility and competitiveness, generating opportunities for the development of new digital products and services. The study methodology involved collecting and processing data on investments in cloud computing, websites, and R&D costs, followed by correlation and statistical regression analyses to determine the influence of these factors on R&D spending. The results show that investments in cloud computing and websites have a positive impact on the evolution of research and development costs in the private sector.