Abstract
Innovation in New Zealand: 2007 gives a statistical picture of business innovation and performance in New Zealand. Innovation is defined as the introduction of any new or significantly improved good, service, process, or marketing method. Economic growth and development depends on the generation, exploitation and diffusion of new knowledge, methods, processes and products. Policymakers need quantitative and qualitative data to understand the nature of innovation and the way it changes over time, the mechanisms that foster or hinder the innovation process, and the effect of innovation on business performance. |
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The Business Operations Survey 2007 was conducted in August 2007. The survey had a modular design and included an innovation module (sponsored by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology) and a business performance module. The modular design enables analysis of the effect of businesses’ practices on their performance.
In 2007, the innovation module was refined to make the way innovation is measured clearer. As a result, more details are available on innovation activities and expenditure on product development and related activities. This report is the first in which broad comparisons have been made with previous innovation collections.
Statistics New Zealand appreciates the cooperation of the businesses and individuals who participated in the Business Operations Survey and enabled these results to be produced.