Every year since 1993, the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) has gathered data on innovation activity within the German Economy. The annual survey is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).
It yields important information on the introduction of new products, services and processes within firms, as well as expenditure on innovation and the degree of success achieved by firms through new products and services and improved processes. Furthermore, the survey gives an insight into the factors which help firms to invest in their futures, or hinder them from doing so. The ZEW innovation survey provides a valuable basis for the assessment of the German economy's technological performance.
The survey itself is carried out in cooperation with the infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences. Since the year 2005, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Researchhas assisted in carrying out the German Innovation Survey.
In the European Union, innovation surveys have been conducted on a regular since 1993 based on a harmonised methodology. These surveys are called the Community Innovation Surveys (CIS). From the outset, the ZEW Innovation Survey has formed the German contribution to the CIS. So far, CIS took place in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Selected CIS results for Germany by sectors are available as xls from here:
The tables contain absolute values and indicators on the following items:
Please note that not all indicators are available for all survey years.
CIS results for Germany deviate from those reported in the Key Figures and Background Reports as well as from Sector Reports since CIS results following methodological recommendations of Eurostat refer to enterprises with at least 10 employees only (whereas all other reports refer to enterprises with at least 5 employees). In addition, the CIS results cover a smaller set of service sectors (only wholesale trade, transportation and postal services, financial intermediation, computing and telecommunication, engineering services).
CIS results for all participating countries are available from Eurostat's Website.
