STATISTIK AUSTRIA

9.172-141/08

Vienna, 9 July 2008 – About half of all Austrian enterprises (50.6%) regarded themselves as innovation active in the years 2004 to 2006. These enterprises have either introduced new or significantly improved products onto the market or implemented new or significantly improved internal processes in their enterprise or had ongoing innovation activities by the end of 2006. These are the results of a survey of Statistics Austria among 3 500 enterprises with ten or more employees in the most important sectors of economy.

Enterprises in the manufacturing sector are more innovative than those in the service sector: In the first-mentioned sector there are 53.5% innovation active firms compared to 48.6% in the service sector. Large enterprises are more “innovation active” than smaller ones. Whereas less than half of the enterprises with 10 to 49 employees were innovation active (44.0%), four fifth of enterprises with 250 and more employees reported innovation activities (82.2%). 71.1% of medium-sized enterprises (between 50 and 249 employees) had innovation activities in the years 2004-2006.

More process than product innovators

While in 2004 to 2006 35.8% of all firms have introduced new or significantly improved products onto the market, 39.0% were process innovators. 22.4% have implemented new or significantly improved methods of manufacturing and producing goods or services, 15.4% new or significantly improved logistics, delivery or distribution methods for their inputs, goods or services, and 28.3% introduced new or significantly improved supporting activities for their processes.

The most important types of innovation activities that enterprises were engaged in the reference period were “training for innovations” and “acquisition of machinery, equipment and software” (each 64% of all innovation active enterprises).

In 2006, Austrian enterprises have achieved 13.6% of their total turnover as a result of product innovations, i.e. new or significantly improved goods or services which were introduced onto the market between 2004 and 2006. 6.6% of total turnover was due to market novelties. These are goods or services that enterprises introduced onto their markets before their competitors. The share of turnover with innovative products is higher among manufacturing enterprises (18.0%) than for enterprises in the service sector (11.0%)

Own enterprise is the most important information source for innovations

Although 38.9% of all innovation active enterprises reported innovation cooperation, the most important sources of information for innovations were within the own enterprise or enterprise group. 60.1% of all innovation active enterprises reported having received information this way. 47.6% of all enterprises named clients or customers, 28.0% indicated suppliers and 20.2% their competitors or other enterprises in their sector.

Every second enterprise has introduced organisational "innovations"

50.3% of all enterprises reported having implemented new or significant changes in the firm structure or management methods between 2004 and 2006. One out of four enterprises has introduced marketing "innovations". 56.0% of all enterprises have introduced at least one of these two “innovations”.

Share of innovation active enterprises decreased slightly

Compared with the previous innovation survey (CIS 4) with the reference period 2002-2004 the share of innovation active enterprises declined slightly from 52.5% to 50.6%, as well as the share of product innovators (from 37.8% to 35.8%) and the share of process innovators (from 40.4% to 39.0%). However, the turnover share of innovative products rose from 10.6% to 13.6%. The “enlarged share of innovators” (including organisational innovations and marketing innovations) remained constant between both surveys (67%).

Table 1: Innovation active enterprises in the years 2004-2006, as % of all enterprises
Industry/Size class	Enterprises with
Industry/Size class	Product innovation	Process innovation	Innovation activity¹⁾
Mining and quarrying	21.1	31.2	31.2
Manufacturing	38.4	42.7	53.5
Electricity, gas and water supply	30.6	34.7	45.6
Services	33.9	36.1	48.6
Total	35.8	39.0	50.6
10 to 49 employees	29.8	32.8	44.0
50 to 249 employees	52.8	57.8	71.1
250 and more employees	71.4	71.3	82.8
S: Statistics Austria, CIS 2006. 1) Enterprises with product and/or process innovation and/or ongoing or abandoned innovation activities.

Table 2: Innovation active enterprises in the years 2004-2006 by industry, in % of all enterprises
Industry (ÖNACE 2003¹⁾)		Enterprises with innovation activities in %
10-14	Mining and quarrying	31.2
15-16	Food products, beverages; tobacco	42.2
17-19	Textiles and textile products; leather and footwear	45.0
20-22	Wood and wood products (except furniture); paper and paper products; publishing, printing	47.4
23-24	Coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; chemicals and chemical products	82.3
25-26	Rubber and plastic products; non-metallic mineral products	61.4
27-28	Basic metals; fabricated metal products	52.1
29	Machinery and equipment	69.5
30-33	Office machinery and computers; electrical machinery and apparatus; radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus; medical, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks	70.0
34-35	Motor vehicles, trailer, semi-trailers and other transport equipment	65.2
36-37	Manufacturing not else classified; recycling	40.7
15-37	Manufacturing	53.5
40-41	Electricity, gas and water supply	45.6
51	Wholesale trade and commission trade	49.9
60-64	Transport, storage and communication	32.6
65-67	Financial intermediation	62.8
72	Computer and related acitivities	79.4
74.2+74.3	Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis	51.3
51-74	Services	48.6
	Total	50.6
S: Statistics Austria, CIS 2006. 1) ÖNACE 2003 is the Austrian version of the European classification of economic activities NACE Rev. 1.1.

Methodological information, definitions: These data are the outcome of the grossed-up results of the European-wide harmonised 5th Community Innovation Survey (CIS 2006), which was conducted by Statistics Austria on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour (BMWA) based on a European regulation and a harmonised model questionnaire, standardised definitions and methodology. This sample survey has yielded answers from more than 3 500 Austrian enterprises with more than 9 employees in the sectors mentioned in the tables above.
Innovations were defined as product innovations and process innovations. Product innovations were defined as market introductions of new or significantly improved products (goods or services). Goods needed to be new to the respective enterprise, but not necessarily to the enterprise’s sector or market. Process innovations were defined as implementations of new or significantly improved production processes, distribution methods, or support activities, such as maintaining systems or operations for purchasing, accounting, or computing. The processes needed to be new to the respective enterprise only. Purely organisational innovations were excluded.
In principle, organisational "innovations" and marketing "innovations" were not considered as innovations in the 5th Community Innovation Survey. For the first time this new and expanded (by organisational and marketing innovation) definition will be implemented in the next round of European innovation surveys. The "enlarged share of innovators" which is displayed here uses the expanded definition on a trial basis for the results of the 5th European innovation survey.

Please contact for enquiries on this topic in the Directorate Population Statistics, Statistics Austria:
Andreas SCHIEFER, Tel. +43 1 71128-7162 resp. andreas.schiefer@statistik.gv.at and Karin BAUER, Tel. +43 1 71128-7718 resp. karin.bauer@statistik.gv.at

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One out of two Austrian enterprises is innovation active

More process than product innovators

Own enterprise is the most important information source for innovations

Every second enterprise has introduced organisational "innovations"

Share of innovation active enterprises decreased slightly

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