Innovation in Italian enterprises

Istat makes available the results from the latest Innovation survey in Italian enterprises. The survey covers innovation activities of the enterprises with at least ten employees operating in industry, construction and services in 2006-2008.

The survey is carried out under the Commission Regulation No. 1450/2004, which establishes the legal basis for innovation statistics and makes it compulsory to deliver data every two years on some key variables.

In 2006-2008, 33.1 per cent of all enterprises with at least ten employees were innovation active and most of them (30.7 per cent of all enterprises) were successful innovators. Large enterprises (250+ employees) were the most innovative enterprises across the Italian economy (65.1 per cent) in the period surveyed, well ahead of the medium and small enterprises, that were innovative in respectively 49.8 per cent and 28.2 per cent of total.