8158.0 - Innovation in Australian Business, 2006-07 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/08/2008   
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MEDIA RELEASE

August 22, 2008
Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEST)
83/2008

Over one-third of Australian businesses are innovative: ABS

During 2006/07 over one-third (37%) of Australian businesses reported undertaking some form of innovation according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Over 25% of businesses claimed that a lack of skilled staff significantly hampered their ability to innovate.

Other findings include:
  • The Information Media and Telecommunications industry had the highest proportion of innovation activity (52%).
  • Information technology skills (35%) were the most prevalent skill type used for innovation purposes.
  • Introduction of goods or services that were new-to-the-world was reported by 9% of innovating businesses.
  • More than three-quarters (76%) of innovative-active businesses claimed that the most common driver of innovation was profit-related.

Further information is available in Innovation in Australian Business, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8158.0), available for free download from the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>.

Media Note: Innovation-active refers to businesses that had implemented or introduced innovation(s) i.e. introduced any new or significantly improved goods or services; operational process; organisational/managerial process; marketing methods; and/or had innovations still in development or abandoned.