ABOUT INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS STATISTICS
The development or introduction of new or significantly improved goods, services, processes or methods is generally considered to be innovation. Innovation is often seen as a continuous process. Therefore, it can be difficult to measure, and aspects of the process can also be intangible. An international framework, the 'Oslo Manual, Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data', has been developed jointly by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to assist in measuring the process of innovation. This manual, updated in 2005, forms the basis of concepts and definitions used to measure the incidence of innovation by the Business Characteristics Survey (BCS). The BCS collects information about the broad types and status of innovation undertaken by Australian business in a 12 month reference period. For more detail about these concepts and definitions, please refer to the Explanatory Notes and the Glossary.
An overview of the ABS statistical and output program related to innovation is provided in Appendix 1: ABS Collection of Innovation Statistics.
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