Regional innovation statistics in Sweden 2012–2014:
Enterprises in Norrland receive more innovation support
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2016-05-20 9.30
Roughly half the enterprises with 10–249 employees conduct innovation activities. Enterprises in Norrland receive more innovation support than enterprises in Stockholm. These are the findings of the latest innovation survey now being published on the regional level.
52 percent of enterprises in West Sweden conducted innovation activities. The corresponding shares in Stockholm and South Sweden were 51 and 49 percent respectively. Between the years 2010–2012 and 2012–2014, the share of small and medium-sized enterprises with innovation activities decreased from 52 percent to 49 percent. The share of enterprises with innovation activities was only higher in 2012–2014 than in 2010–2012 in North Central Sweden and Upper Norrland.
High share of enterprises with public financial support for innovation activities in Upper Norrland
Enterprises can get public financial support for their innovation activities. This includes financial support via grants and loans from Swedish organisations like ALMI, Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, Vinnova and from the European Union. 14 percent of the small and medium size enterprises with innovation activities for product and/or process innovation received financial support. Enterprises in Central Norrland and Upper Norrland received support to a higher extent than other enterprises. Among enterprises in Central Norrland and Upper Norrland with innovation activities for product and/or process innovation, 29 and 35 percent respectively received support. Stockholm and South Sweden had the lowest share of enterprises with support, 10 and 9 percent respectively.
One in three enterprises in Stockholm introduced a product innovation
A product innovation is the market introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service. The share of product innovative enterprises decreased between 2010–2012 and 2012–2014; 28 and 27 percent respectively had introduced a product innovation. Stockholm had the highest share of product innovative enterprises at 31 percent. The share of product innovators in the other regions varied between 20 and 28 percent.
Enterprises with product innovations are asked if the innovation was new to their market or only new to the firm. In North Central Sweden 65 percent of the product innovative enterprises had a product innovation that was new to the market. 66 percent of the product innovative enterprises in Central Norrland said that the product innovation was only new to the firm.
Definitions and explanations
Enterprises carrying out innovation activities include:
- Enterprises that have introduced product innovation, process innovation, organisational innovation or marketing innovation during the period 2012–2014
- Enterprises that during the period 2012–2014 have abandoned or suspended the development of new products or processes before completion
- Enterprises that at the end of 2014 had ongoing development activities of new products or processes that are not yet finished.
Publication
Next publishing will be
December 2017.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.