In the EU27, 53% of enterprises from industry and services reported innovation activity between 2008 and 2010. Among the EU27 Member States, the highest proportions of enterprises with innovation activity were recorded in Germany (79% of enterprises), Luxembourg (68%), Belgium (61%), Portugal, Sweden and Ireland (all 60%), and the lowest in Bulgaria (27%), Poland (28%), Latvia (30%), Romania and Hungary (both 31%).

This information, which comes from the Community Innovation Survey 20102, covering the EU27 Member States, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey is published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Innovation activity in this survey focuses on product and process innovation as well as organisational and marketing innovation. The survey contains a broad set of indicators on innovation activities of enterprises and provides for the first time information on skills and creativity.

One in nine product and process innovative enterprises co-operate with European partners

Among enterprises with product and process innovation activities in the EU27, 27% co-operated3 with other enterprises, universities or public research institutes in 2008-2010, while the remaining 73% innovated using only internal resources. The highest proportions of innovation co-operation were found in Cyprus (62% of all product and process innovative enterprises), Austria (51%), Slovenia (45%), Lithuania and Hungary (both 43%), and the lowest in Italy (12%), Malta (18%), Portugal (20%), Spain and Bulgaria (both 22%).

In the EU27, 11% of innovative enterprises had innovation co-operation with a partner in another EU27 Member State, EFTA, acceding or candidate country4, 3% with a partner in the United States and 2% with a partner in India or China. Innovation co-operation with a European partner was highest in Cyprus (38% of all product and process innovative enterprises), Slovenia (35%), Austria, Estonia and Slovakia (all 30%), Finland (28%) and Luxembourg (27%), and lowest in Italy (4%), Spain (5%), Germany (8%) and Portugal (9%).

Finland (12%), Sweden (11%) and Slovenia (8%) had the largest shares of innovation co-operation with partners in the United States, and Finland (9%), Sweden (7%), Luxembourg and Slovenia (both 6%) with partners in India or China.