Innovation in companies; company size, 2008-2010

This table shows data on innovation at Dutch companies. These data are the results of a biennial innovation survey. One survey covers three reporting years (this is the reporting period). The last year in one survey is the same as the first year in the next survey. The research encompasses a wide variety of aspects of the concept of innovation. Because each new innovation survey can include new topics, the results per survey are presented in a separate table. The Innovation Survey 2008-2010 was conducted among a sample of companies with 10 and more employed persons. The results are broken down by company size and industry. Trend breach innovation survey by electronic questionnaires: In the innovation survey, CBS used electronic questionnaires for the first time in the year 2008-2010. Respondents were able to complete and return the questionnaire via the internet. In addition, for companies that preferred to do so, there remained the possibility to participate in the investigation via a paper questionnaire. In the end, more than 10 thousand companies participated in the study, of which almost 90 percent used the electronic questionnaire. For some important indicators, the results of the Innovation Survey 2008–2010 are significantly higher than those of previous studies. In particular, the figures on product and process innovators are higher than in previous reporting periods. CBS has conducted several analyses to explain this increase. The conclusion of these analyses is that in part there has been a real increase in the number of innovators, but that the switch to internet questionnaires plays a greater role in explaining the higher outcomes. Because of the way the questions are presented on the internet questionnaire, companies are more likely to qualify themselves as innovative. Based on the analyses carried out, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the old method was underestimating the number of innovative companies in the Netherlands. The new observation method has thus led to an improvement in the measurement of innovation in the Netherlands. For this reason, it was decided to use only the electronic questionnaires in the official results of the innovation survey 2008-2010. Data available for 2008-2010. Status of the figures: The figures are final. Changes as of 23 December 2016: None, this table has been discontinued. When are new figures coming? No longer applicable. This table is followed by innovation in companies; industries by company size. See paragraph 3.