8101.0 - Innovation and Technology Update (Newsletter), Aug 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/08/2006   
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4 INNOVATION STATISTICS

4.1 Innovation Analysis Forum
4.2 Innovation Technical Reference Group (TRG)
4.3 Collaborations in Innovation Statistical Analysis
4.3 Forthcoming ABS Publications on Innovation
4.5 Some Useful Non-ABS Websites on Innovation Statistics


4.1 INNOVATION ANALYSIS FORUM
An Innovation Analysis Forum meeting was held in Canberra on 20 April 2006 at the Hyatt Hotel. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR) coordinated the forum and it was opened by Patricia Kelly, Deputy Secretary of DITR. The forum provided a showcase of the results of a range of innovation analyses conducted across Federal agencies, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University.

The organisations presenting the results of innovation analysis at the forum were:
  • the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources;
  • the Australian Bureau of Statistics;
  • Melbourne Business School and Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia, University of Melbourne;
  • Productivity Commission;
  • Commonwealth Treasury; and
  • Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts.

The forum was an ideal mechanism to highlight the results of DITR's collaborative work with the ABS in conducting a number of analyses at micro-data level for the ABS Innovation Survey 2003. Results of the analysis are available in the ABS/DITR joint publication Patterns of Innovation in Australian Businesses 2003.

The ABS gave two presentations at the forum. The first presentation outlined the strategies for the ABS' Integrated Business Characteristics Strategy (IBCS) (Please see section 5 in this Newsletter for further information on the IBCS). The second presentation outlined some preliminary results from a research work that attempts to model the statistical association between business use of IT and innovation. The analysis was based on a linked firm-level data from the 2002-03 Business Use of IT Survey and the 2003 Innovation Survey. For further information about the study into Business Use of IT and Innovation, contact Ruel Abello, Analytical Services Branch, ABS on (02) 6252 6307.

The forum also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss future directions of innovation analysis.


4.2 INNOVATION TECHNICAL REFERENCE GROUP (TRG)

The ABS is planning to hold the next Innovation TRG meeting on 17 August 2006 in ABS House, Canberra. The meeting provides an opportunity for experts in the field of innovation statistics to discuss a range of important issues associated with the ABS Innovation Survey Program and to have input into future directions associated with the program.

The TRG comprises of members from the following organisations:
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
  • Department of Education, Science and Technology
  • Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts
  • Productivity Commission
  • CSIRO; and
  • Commonwealth Treasury.

The issues planned to be discussed at the next meeting are:
  • 2005 Innovation survey output strategy including potential publication content and electronic release options
  • overview and progress of micro-data collaborations
  • future role of the DITR innovation analysis working party
  • CURF availability;
  • update on IBCS developments including issues related to innovation specific content in the 2006-07 IBCS
  • report on the outcomes from the NESTI meeting in Berlin 2006
  • discussion of the Statistical Working group for the Industrial statistics Committee (SWIC)/Eurostat proposal for internationally comparable innovation data
  • discussion on developments at State level for innovation data and analysis.

Invitations to the Innovation TRG will be sent to members in the near future.
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4.3 COLLABORATIONS IN INNOVATION STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The ABS has formally established three micro-data collaborations over the past 12 months with DITR, the Productivity Commission and the University of South Australia. The collaborations are important milestones for the ABS as they extend the type of analyses performed on ABS Innovation Survey datasets and assist the Australian Statistician in performing his role. The collaborations are undertaken on a consistent basis with the legislation under which the ABS operates.

The collaboration with DITR formally concluded on 7 July 2006 and has resulted to date in two analytical publications that have been well received by users of innovation statistics. The joint ABS and DITR publication, Patterns of Innovation in Australian Businesses 2003 (ABS cat.no. 8163.0) was published on 16 January 2006. This publication was well received by the user community. A second publication, Innovation Novelty, Collaboration and Related Characteristics in Australian Businesses - An Econometric Analysis was released by DITR on 20 April 2006. It is expected that additional publications from this successful collaboration will be published in the near future.

The collaborations with the Productivity Commission and the University of South Australia are currently in train and it is expected that the publication of results from both projects will be available early in 2007.


4.4 FORTHCOMING ABS PUBLICATIONS ON INNOVATION

The first results from the 2005 Innovation survey are expected to be released in early December 2006. This release will be in the form a summary publication and will contain less detail than the 2003 Innovation publication. However, data at least equivalent to that included in the previous publication will be released electronically progressively via the ABS website in the three months following the first results.

For further information about the 2005 Innovation survey outputs, contact Diane Braskic, Innovation and Technology Business Statistics Centre, ABS on (08) 9360 5241 or diane.braskic@abs.gov.au.


4.5 SOME USEFUL NON-ABS WEBSITES ON INNOVATION STATISTICS

Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR)
http://www.industry.gov.au

Department of Education, Science and Technology (DEST)
http://www.dest.gov.au

Productivity Commission (PC)
http://www.pc.gov.au

Backing Australia's ability website
http://backingaus.innovation.gov.au

Biotechnology Australia
http://www.biotechnology.gov.au