In the EU27, 52% of enterprises from industry and services reported innovation activity between 2006 and 2008. Among the EU27 Member States, the highest proportions of enterprises with innovation activity in this period were recorded in Germany (80% of enterprises), Luxembourg (65%), Belgium and Portugal (both 58%) and Ireland (57%). The lowest rates were observed in Latvia (24%), Poland (28%), Hungary (29%), Lithuania (30%) and Bulgaria (31%).

(see below: Croatia 44%!)

A third of innovative enterprises cooperate with external partners

Among enterprises with innovation activities in the EU27, 34% cooperated with other enterprises, universities or public research institutes in 2006-2008, while the remaining 66% innovated using only internal resources. The highest proportions of innovation co-operation were found in Denmark (57% of all innovative enterprises), Cyprus (51%), Belgium and Estonia (both 49%), and the lowest in Romania (14%), Italy (16%), Bulgaria and Latvia (both 17%).

In the EU27, 11% of innovative enterprises had innovation cooperation with a partner in another EU27 Member State, EFTA or candidate country4, 3% with a partner in the United States and 2% with a partner in India or China. Innovation cooperation with a European partner was highest in Slovenia (35% of all innovative enterprises), Estonia (33%), Belgium (30%), Luxembourg (28%), Finland and Slovakia (both 26%), and lowest in Spain and Italy (both 4%), Bulgaria and Ireland (both 6%) and Germany (7%).

For cooperation with partners in the United States, Sweden and Finland (both 11%), Belgium and Luxembourg (both 9%) had the largest shares. Sweden and Finland (both 7%) and Belgium (6%) had also the highest shares of cooperation with partners in India or China.

Innovation activity and co-operation during 2006-2008

EU27 aggregate based upon available Member States

* Cooperation can take place with more than one partner. This breakdown by country is not a mandatory element of the survey.

: Data not available

• The enterprises surveyed belong to the following sectors of industry and services: Mining and quarrying; Manufacturing; Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities; Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transportation and storage; Publishing activities; Telecommunications; Computer programming, consultancy and related activities; Information service activities; Financial and insurance activities; Architectural and engineering activities, technical testing and analysis.

• The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) 2008 is a survey of innovation activities of enterprises in EU Member States. The survey collects information about product and process innovation as well as organisational and marketing innovation and other key variables during the three-year period 2006 to 2008 inclusive. Most questions cover new or significantly improved goods or services or the implementation of new or significantly improved processes, logistics or distribution methods. It produces a broad set of indicators on innovation activities, innovation expenditure, public funding, sources of information for innovation, innovation co-operation, innovation objectives, organisational and marketing innovation and on innovation with environmental benefits.

The CIS will form an important input into the European Commission Research and Innovation Union Scoreboard, providing 6 of the 25 proposed indicators on innovation. The Research and Innovation Scoreboard is proposed by the European Commission under the Innovation Union flagship initiative within the EU2020 strategy. For more information: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1288&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Notes:

Innovation co-operation measures the active partnership of the observed enterprise with other enterprises or non-commercial institutions such as universities or public research institutes, at national or international level. Co-operation can take place with more than one partner. Concerns enterprises with product and process innovations (regardless of their organisational or marketing innovations).

Includes the EU27 Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom; EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland; and Candidate countries: Croatia,  the Former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia and Turkey.

Source: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/10/166&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en