Innovation in New Zealand: 2009 gives a statistical picture of business innovation and performance in New Zealand. Innovation is defined as the introduction of any new or significantly improved goods, services, processes, or marketing methods.
Innovation is important to New Zealand as it encourages growth, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship. To understand the way innovation occurs in New Zealand businesses, it is important to measure not only the rate of innovation, but also the characteristics and activities surrounding this innovation. The results tell us about the types of innovation occurring, the reasons for the innovation, which factors hamper innovation, and cooperation between businesses for innovation.
The statistics presented in this report result from the Business Operations Survey 2009, which was conducted in August 2009. 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.
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.
Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician
ISSN 1177-6927 (online)
Published June 2010