Home > Statistics > Innovation > 2004 > Half of manufacturing enterprises and one in three of service enterprises had innovation activity in 2002-2004

Published: 19 April 2006

Half of manufacturing enterprises and one in three of service enterprises had innovation activity in 2002-2004

In the period from 2002 to 2004, a total of 43 per cent of all enterprises had innovation activity; 30 per cent had product innovations and 28 per cent process innovations. Over the examined time period, half of manufacturing enterprises had innovation activity; 34 per cent had product innovations, 31 per cent process innovations and 32 had projects aiming at innovations. Altogether 14 per cent of manufacturing enterprises had all of these, that is, product and process innovations and innovation projects. The data derive from a survey of Statistics Finland in which enterprise were inquired about their innovation activities. The survey covered enterprises employing at least 10 persons in the examined industries.

During the 2002 to 2004 period, 37 per cent of all service enterprises had innovation activity. One enterprise in four had innovations relating to goods or services, and the same proportion also had process innovations. One-fifth had projects aiming at innovations. Ten per cent of all service enterprises had all of these.

In relative terms, all manufacturing industries considered, innovation activity was most plentiful in the food industry, the textile industry, the rubber and plastics industry and in the manufacture of instruments. Around two out of three enterprises in each of these industries had had innovation activity. Among the service industries, innovation activity was most widespread in data processing, where 67 per cent of enterprises had had innovation activity in the period from 2002 to 2004.

An innovation is a new or essentially improved product or service launched by an enterprise on the market, or a new or essentially improved process introduced by an enterprise. Besides enterprises having made innovations, also enterprises with projects aimed at innovations that continued from the previous examination period or were terminated during this examination period were counted in the survey as enterprises having practiced innovation activity.

Diffusion of innovation activity in manufacturing and services 2002-2004, share of enterprises

In the 2002-2004 period, a significant proportion, or 45 per cent, of the enterprises having practiced innovation activity had had related co-operation. Such co-operation is most usually done with enterprises in the same group, suppliers of goods or materials, or with customers. Forty-one per cent of the enterprises that belonged to a group and had practiced innovation activity viewed co-operation with other enterprises in the same group as significant. Around one-third of the enterprises regarded co-operation with customers as important while 27 per cent considered co-operation with goods and material suppliers as significant. Most of the co-operation related to innovation activity was done with domestic partners in 2002-2004, but a notable proportion of the enterprises also had co-operative partners in the other EU countries and in the United States.

More detailed data will be available in the publication Innovation Survey 2004, due out in autumn 2006.

Source: Innovation Survey 2004. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Ms Mervi Niemi +358 9 1734 3263, tiede.teknologia@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ms Kaija Hovi

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Practising of innovation activity by size category of personnel, 2002-2004, share of enterprises (19.4.2006)

---

Last updated 19.4.2006