Survey of Innovation

2005 (preliminary)

More than two-thirds of manufacturing plants were innovative between 2002 and 2004, according to data from the 2005 Survey of Innovation.

However, among information and communications technology (ICT) manufacturing industries, this proportion reached over four out of five during the same time period.

An innovative plant is one that introduced a new or significantly improved product (good or service) onto the market and/or implemented a new or significantly improved production process in that plant during the period under review. This includes the introduction of new or significantly improved ways of processing products which are new to that plant.

The top two ICT manufacturing industries were computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing, and radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing, in which 89% of plants were innovative.

The survey covered plants with at least 20 employees and $250,000 in revenues from the logging and manufacturing industries. It covered: general information on the plant's operations; plant success factors; product and process innovation; ongoing or abandoned product and/or process innovations; innovation activities; sources of information and co-operation for innovation; impact of innovation; problems and obstacles to innovation; intellectual property protection and acquisition of technology; market and supply chain; and funding and support.

The survey is part of a program in Statistics Canada's Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division to provide information on innovation and related activities with the ultimate aim of assisting other government departments in developing policies and programs.

It resulted from collaboration among Statistics Canada and other government departments: Industry Canada; Natural Resources Canada; the Institut de la statistique du Québec; the Conseil de la science et de la technologie du Québec; Industry Canada, région Québec; the ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec; the ministère du Développement économique, de l'innovation et de l'exportation du Québec; the ministère des Finances du Québec; the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade; and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

Available on CANSIM: table 358-0062.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4218.

Data on a limited number of variables from the survey are now available.

For more information, to obtain data tables from the survey, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Susan Schaan, (613-951-1953; fax: 613-951-9920; susan.schaan@statcan.gc.ca), Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division.