INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS - DETAIL

Innovation-active businesses

Summary of innovative activity in Australian business, by employment size(a), 2008 - 09
			0-4 persons	5-19 persons	20-199 persons	200 or more persons	Total
Estimated number of businesses(b)		'000	433	217	60	3	713
Businesses which introduced innovation (innovating businesses)		%	28.1	43.9	51.8	60.9	35.0
Businesses with innovative activity which was:
	still in development	%	14.3	21.5	26.7	36.0	17.6
	abandoned	%	5.8	7.5	7.7	7.8	6.5
Businesses with any innovative activity (innovation-active businesses)		%	32.8	48.4	58.2	66.7	39.8
(a) Proportions are of all businesses in each employment size category.
(b) Business counts are provided for contextual information only, please refer to Explanatory Notes 20 and 21.

The proportion of businesses that were innovation-active was greater for each successive employment size range, from 33% of businesses employing 0-4 persons to more than double this proportion for businesses with 200 or more persons employed (67%).

It is important for users to note that the population for each of the employment size groups varies considerably. For example, an innovation-active rate of 67% for businesses with 200 or more persons employed represents approximately 2,000 businesses, whereas an innovation-active rate of 33% for businesses with 0-4 employees represents approximately 143,000 businesses.

Just over half of all businesses in Wholesale trade reported some form of innovative activity during the year ended 30 June 2009, this was followed by 48% of businesses in Manufacturing. Businesses in Construction (31%) were the least likely to have any form of innovative activity during the year ended 30 June 2009.

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