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INNOVATION
The ABS conducted a survey of businesses in the private industry to gauge innovation undertaken during the period January 2001 to December 2003. For the purposes of the survey, innovation is defined as the process of introducing new or significantly improved goods or services and/or implementing new or significantly improved processes. New goods or services or processes may involve the development of new technology, an adaptation of existing technology to a new use, or may be non-technological in nature (e.g. organisational and managerial change). These categories are defined as:
- a new good or service means any new good or service or combination of these which is new to a business; its characteristics or intended uses differ significantly from those previously produced
- a new operational process means a significant change for a business in its methods of producing or delivering goods or services
- a new organisational/managerial process means a significant change to the strategies, structures or routines of the business which aim to improve performance.
During the three years ended December 2003, innovation was undertaken by 35% of businesses in scope of the survey. Of those businesses innovating, a higher proportion (23%) implemented new or significantly improved operational processes than introduced new or significantly improved goods or services (17%) (table 25.1).
25.1 SUMMARY OF INNOVATION, Selected business characteristics(a) - 2001-2003
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 | Businesses | Proportion of businesses which introduced/implemented new or significantly improved |
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| Indicator | As at December 2003 | Innovating(b) | Goods or
services(b) | Operational processes(b) | Organisational/
managerial
processes(b) |
| no. | no. | % | % | % | % |
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| Employment size | | | | | | |
| 5-19 persons | 102,009 | 31,036 | 30.4 | 14.3 | 19.8 | 17.7 |
| 20-99 persons | 28,583 | 13,061 | 45.7 | 20.6 | 29.9 | 31.3 |
| 100 or more persons | 5,244 | 3,186 | 60.8 | 38.4 | 44.8 | 39.5 |
| Income size | | | | | | |
| Less than $100,000 | 9,160 | ^1,251 | 13.7 | **3.8 | *10.1 | *9.7 |
| $100,000 - less than $1m | 51,902 | 12,749 | ^24.6 | ^10.6 | ^15.1 | ^12.8 |
| $1m - less than $5m | 52,257 | 21,686 | 41.5 | 20.5 | 28.3 | 27.1 |
| $5m or more | 22,517 | 11,596 | 51.5 | 26.3 | 33.7 | 32.9 |
| States and territories | | | | | | |
| New South Wales | 48,279 | 17,586 | 36.4 | ^17.8 | ^23.0 | ^20.9 |
| Victoria | 34,807 | 12,070 | 34.7 | ^17.1 | ^22.8 | ^21.1 |
| Queensland | 24,519 | 7,519 | 30.7 | ^14.0 | ^21.7 | ^20.6 |
| South Australia | 8,802 | 4,038 | 45.9 | ^23.8 | ^30.2 | ^29.8 |
| Western Australia | 13,416 | 4,399 | 32.8 | ^13.6 | ^22.2 | ^21.3 |
| Tasmania | 2,553 | 676 | ^26.5 | *10.1 | *17.5 | ^17.0 |
| Northern Territory | 1,121 | 315 | ^28.1 | *11.5 | ^15.4 | *17.9 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 2,339 | 680 | ^29.0 | *9.2 | *22.1 | ^20.6 |
| Region | | | | | | |
| Capital cities | 40,409 | 33,540 | 35.1 | 17.6 | ^21.9 | ^22.2 |
| Other areas | 95,426 | 13,742 | 34.0 | 14.1 | 25.3 | 19.4 |
| Industry | | | | | | |
| Mining | 722 | 223 | ^30.9 | ^10.6 | ^18.5 | ^17.9 |
| Manufacturing | 18,940 | 8,621 | 45.5 | 27.1 | 29.7 | 24.2 |
| Electricity, gas and water supply | 191 | 97 | 50.8 | 21.2 | 33.5 | 34.9 |
| Construction | 12,554 | 3,860 | ^30.7 | ^9.8 | ^20.0 | ^22.4 |
| Wholesale trade | 13,231 | 5,670 | 42.9 | ^26.1 | ^25.2 | ^27.1 |
| Retail trade | 30,163 | 9,471 | ^31.4 | ^10.2 | ^21.6 | ^18.4 |
| Accommodation, cafes and restaurants | 11,980 | 3,175 | ^26.5 | ^10.6 | ^17.8 | ^16.1 |
| Transport and storage | 5,008 | 1,748 | 34.9 | ^15.4 | ^25.8 | ^21.3 |
| Communication services | 428 | 219 | ^51.1 | ^29.2 | ^40.0 | ^30.4 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,821 | 1,694 | ^44.3 | ^22.2 | ^26.4 | ^31.7 |
| Property and business services | 34,368 | 10,880 | ^31.7 | ^16.6 | ^21.6 | ^20.1 |
| Cultural and recreational services | 4,429 | 1,625 | 36.7 | ^17.9 | ^20.2 | ^25.4 |
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| Total | 135,836 | 47,283 | 34.8 | 16.6 | 22.9 | 21.4 |
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(a) The scope of the survey excluded all businesses employing less than five employees and those classified to the following Industry Divisions of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 edition: Agriculture, forestry and fishing; Government administration and defence; Education; Health and community services; and Personal and other services.
(b) Proportions are of businesses reporting innovation in each category. |
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| Source: Innovation in Australian Business, 2003 (Re-issue 8158.0). |
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