How innovative are Canadian enterprises?

Release date: October 30, 2018
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Description: How innovative are Canadian enterprises?

How innovative are Canadian enterprises?

The 2017 Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy found that innovation was implemented by more than three-quarters of Canadian enterprises. Innovation is the introduction of new or improved products or operational methods.

More enterprises were innovative in 2017 than in 2012.

Percentage of innovative enterprises in Canada, by survey year
  2009 2012 2017
Innovative enterprises 66.8% 63.5% 79.3%

More enterprises across Canada reported innovating in 2017 compared to 2012.

Rates of innovation, by year and by region
  2017 2012
Atlantic 69.1% 45.8%
Ontario 79.8% 71.2%
Quebec 80.6% 60.9%
Rest of Canada 79.5% 59.7%Table note 1
Table note 1

This figure is an approximation.

Return to table note 1 referrer

Organizational innovation is the most prevalent type among enterprises.

Percentage of enterprises, by type of innovation
Type of innovation Percentage of enterprises
Organizational 59.5%
Marketing 54.4%
Process 52.7%
Product 52.7%

Size matters: large and medium-sized enterprises reported higher rates of innovation.

Percentage of innovative enterprises, by size
  Percentage of enterprises
Small enterprises 78.3%
Medium-sized enterprises 83.5%
Large enterprises 85.9%

Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2018

All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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