Investment climate; innovation international comparison 1990-2008

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Description topics

Patent applications

A patent is an instrument to protect the knowledge acquired for an
innovation legally. A patent application means that research & development
activities resulted in knowledge that may lead to a new product or
process.

Patent applications to the EPO

Patent applications to the European Patent Office (EPO). An application
is counted when it is submitted at national level. The patent
applications included are applications under the European Patent
Convention, and under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) with EPO as
overseer (Euro PCT). Not counted are applications at the national level
only. When an application was made by several inventors in various
countries, a portion is counted in each of the countries.
Patents are only granted if they are new, an innovative leap forward, and
applicable in industry.
Not considered innovations are new mathematical models, software
improvements, and plant improvements.
The figures of Eurostat have been adjusted to obtain the desired figures
for all years in relation to the size of the working population.
Also calculated are the EU-15, EU-25, EU-27 and OECD averages.
N.B. It can take several years before a patent application is approved.
Therefore figures for the most recent years can rise significantly.
Sources: Eurostat. Additional data on the size of the working population
in non-EU countries from OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators,
2008-2.

High-tech patent applications to the EPO

High-tech patents are defined according to the criteria of the Trilateral
Statistical Report. The following technology areas are considered
high-tech: computers and other automated office equipment, micro-organic
and genetic technology, aviation, communication technology, semiconductors
and lasers (IPC classification).
Source: Eurostat.

High-tech patent applications to the EPO

High-tech patents are defined according to the criteria of the Trilateral
Statistical Report. The following technology areas are considered
high-tech: computers and other automated office equipment, micro-organic
and genetic technology, aviation, communication technology, semiconductors
and lasers (IPC classification).
Source: Eurostat. Additional data on the size of the working population
from OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators, 2008-2.

Turnover of new or improved products

Turnover from products marketed in the last three years as
(technologically) new or significantly improved product. Figures are
available for the manufacturing sector (NACE D) and for the
service sector, here defined as NACE sectors I (transport, storage and
communication) and J (financial intermediation) and NACE branches 51
(wholesale trade and commission trade, except of motor vehicles and
motorcycles, 72 (computer and related activities), 74.2 (architectural
and engineering activities and related technical consultancy) and 74.3
(technical testing and analysis). NACE stands for Nomenclature
statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté Européenne.
Only companies with 10 or more employees.
For 2000, the EU-15 average excludes Ireland.
Sources: Eurostat, Community Innovation Surveys (various surveys);
Statistics Netherlands.

Product, new to enterprise, not market

These products are new for the company, but not necessarily new for the
market as a whole. In other words: another company may already produce
this product but it is new for the company surveyed. Figures are
available for the manufacturing sector (NACE D) and for the
service sector, here defined as NACE sectors I (transport, storage and
communication) and J (financial intermediation) and NACE branches 51
(wholesale trade and commission trade, except of motor vehicles and
motorcycles, 72 (computer and related activities), 74.2 (architectural
and engineering activities and related technical consultancy) and 74.3
(technical testing and analysis). NACE stands for Nomenclature
statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté Européenne.
Only companies with 10 or more employees.
For 2000, the EU-15 average excludes Ireland.
Sources: Eurostat, Community Innovation Surveys (various surveys);
Statistics Netherlands.

Product, new to the enterprise

These products are not only new for the company, but not necessary new
for the market as a whole. Figures are available for the manufacturing
sector (NACE D) and for the service sector, here defined as NACE sectors I
(transport, storage and communication) and J (financial intermediation)
and NACE branches 51 (wholesale trade and commission trade, except of
motor vehicles and motorcycles, 72 (computer and related activities),
74.2 (architectural and engineering activities and related technical
consultancy) and 74.3 (technical testing and analysis). NACE stands for
Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté
Européenne. Only companies with 10 or more employees.
For 2000, the EU-15 average excludes Ireland.
Sources: Eurostat, Community Innovation Surveys (various surveys);
Statistics Netherlands.

Non-technological innovation

The percentage of companies that implemented non-technological innovation
in the period 1998-2000, 2002-2004, respectively 2004-2006 in the
following areas: strategy, management, organisation, marketing and
aesthetic adaptations of products.
Source: Eurostat, Community Innovation Surveys (various surveys).

Aesthetic

Aesthetic product adaptations are non-technical changes in the way
products look, such as changes in colour or packaging.