Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union

G4: Innovation and information society

2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG

The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) is a survey of innovation activity in enterprises. The survey is designed to provide information on the innovativeness of sectors by type of enterprises, on the different types of innovation and on various aspects of the development of an innovation, such as the objectives, the sources of information, the public funding or the expenditures.

The CIS provides statistics broke down by countries, types of innovators, economic activities and size classes. The survey is currently carried out every two years across the EU Member States, some EFTA countries and EU candidate countries.

In order to ensure comparability across countries, Eurostat together with the countries developed a standard core questionnaire (see in Annex) accompanied by a set of definitions and methodological recommendations. CIS 2012 concepts and underlying methodology are also based on the Oslo Manual third edition of 2005 (see link at the bottom of the page).

CIS 2012 results were collected under Commission Regulation No 995/2012. This Regulation sets the mandatory target population of the survey that refers to enterprises in the Core NACE categories (see section 3.3.) with at least 10 employees. Further activities may be covered on a voluntary basis in national datasets. Most statistics are based on the 3-year reference period 2010-2012, but some use only one calendar year (2010 or 2012).

CIS 2012 includes an ad-hoc module on growth that consists of a set of questions focusing more specifically on the strategies and obstacles for reaching the enterprises' goals.

While the European innovation statistics use the aggregated national data, the microdata sets can be accessed by researchers via the SAFE Centre of Eurostat in Luxembourg or via CD-ROM releases in more anonymised form; some countries also provide access to their microdata through national Safe Centres. Since the provision of the microdata is voluntary, microdatasets do not cover all countries.

Indicators related to the enterprises are classified by country, economic activity (NACE Rev. 2), size class and type of innovation activity.

In accordance with Commission Regulation N° 995/2012, the following industries and services are included in the Core target population and results are made available with these presented breakdowns:
•    Core NACE (NACE Rev. 2  sections & divisions B-C-D-E-46-H-J-K-71-72-73 ) (NACE code in the tables = B-M73_INN)
•    Core Industry (excluding construction) (NACE Rev. 2 sections B_C_D_E) (NACE code in the tables = B_E)
•    B MINING AND QUARRYING
•    C MANUFACTURING
•    10-12 Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco
•    13-15 Manufacture of textiles, wearing apparel, leather and related products
•    16-18 Manufacture of wood, paper, printing and reproduction
•    20: Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
•    21: Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
•    19-22 Manufacture of petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber and plastic products
•    23: Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
•    24: Manufacture of basic metals
•    25: Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
•    26: Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
•    25-30 Manufacture of of fabricated metal products (except machinery and equipment), computer, electronic and optical products, electrical equipment, motor vehicles and other transport equipment
•    31-33 Manufacture of furniture; jewellery, musical instruments, toys; repair and installation of machinery and equipment
•    D ELECTRICITY, GAS, STEAM AND AIR CONDITIONING SUPPLY
•    E WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE, WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REMEDIATION ACTIVITIES
•    36: Water collection, treatment and supply
•    37-39 Sewerage, waste management, remediation activities
•    Core Services (NACE Rev. 2 sections & divisions 46-H-J-K-71-72-73) (NACE code in the tables = G46-M73_INN)
•    46: Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
•    H TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE
•    49-51 Land transport and transport via pipelines, water transport and air transport
•    52-53  Warehousing and support activities for transportation and postal and courier activities
•    J INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
•    58: Publishing activities
•    61: Telecommunications
•    62: Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
•    63: Information service activities
•    K FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE ACTIVITIES
•    64: Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding
•    65: Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security
•    66: Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities
•    71: Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis
•    72: Scientific research and development
•    73: Advertising and market research
•    71-73: Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis; Scientific research and development; Advertising and market research

Countries can also provide results for sectors in a more detailed form or for sectors that are not included in the Core NACE coverage on a voluntary basis.

In addition, most of countries provided, also on voluntary basis, CIS data referring to the Core NACE coverage previously applied and defined in Commission Regulation N° 1450/2004. This category is available in the CIS 2012 Eurobase tables for the countries that reported corresponding data (see code "B-M71_INN" - Innovation core activities (Com.Reg. 1450/2004) in the list of NACE rev.2 categories). It covers the NACE Rev.2 sections B, C, D, E, H, K and NACE Rev. 2 divisions 46, 58, 61, 62, 63 and 71.

CIS provides information on the characteristics of innovation activity at enterprise level. It allows Europe’s progress to be monitored in the area of innovation, creating a better understanding of the innovation process with analysis of the objectives and the effects of innovation. These results can also be linked to variables related to competitiveness, employment and economic growth. The concepts are in line with those recommended by the Oslo Manual (3^rd edition 2005), which is the internationally recognised standard methodology for collecting innovation statistics.

CIS 2012 collected information on product, process, organisational and marketing innovation. CIS results offer a broad set of indicators on innovation activities, innovation development, innovation expenditures, public funding, sources of information for innovation, innovation cooperation and organisational and marketing innovation.

Main concepts and definitions used for the CIS data collection:

An innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), process, new marketing method, or new organisational method in business practices, workplace organisation or external relations. This definition of innovation encompasses a wide range of possible innovations. An innovation can be categorised as the implementation of one or more types of innovations, for instance product and process innovation. An overview of the types of innovators is available in Annex.

The minimum requirement for an innovation is that the product, process, marketing method or organisational method must be new or significantly improved to the firm. This includes products, processes and methods that firms are the first to develop and also those that have been adopted from other firms or organisations.

Product innovative enterprises are those who introduced, during 2010-2012, new or significantly improved goods and/or services with respect to their capabilities, user friendliness, components or sub-systems. Changes of a solely aesthetic nature and the simple resale of new goods and services purchased from other enterprises are not considered as innovation.

Process innovative enterprises implemented new or significantly improved production process, distribution method or supplying activity during 2010-2012.

Organisational innovative enterprises implemented a new organisational method in the enterprise’s business practices, workplace organisation or external relations.

Marketing innovative enterprises implemented a new marketing concept or strategy that differs significantly from enterprises' existing marketing methods and which has not been used before. It requires significant changes in product design or packaging, product placement, product promotion or pricing and excludes seasonal, regular and other routine changes in marketing methods.

Innovative enterprises had innovation activities during the period 2010-2012, including enterprises with on-going and abandoned activities. In other words, enterprises that had innovation activities during the period under review, regardless of whether the activity resulted in the implementation of an innovation, are innovation-active.

During the period, innovation activities can be of three kinds:

● successful, in having resulted in the implementation of an innovation (although the innovation need not have been commercially successful);

● on-going, with work in progress that has not yet resulted in the implementation of an innovation.

● abandoned before the implementation of an innovation.

Non-innovative enterprises had no innovation activity whatsoever during the reference period. These enterprises answered only a limited set of questions of the survey. The CIS 2012 ad-hoc module on growth targeted enterprises both with and without innovation activity.

The main statistical unit is the enterprise, as defined in the Council Regulation on statistical units (Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 of 15 March 1993, OJ No L76 of 3 March 1993) or as defined in the statistical business register.

The Regulation defines the enterprise as ‘the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. It may carry out one or more activities at one or more locations and it may be a combination of legal units, one legal unit or part of a legal unit’.

The population of the CIS is determined by the size of the enterprise and its principal activity. All enterprises with 10 or more employees in any of the Core NACE categories are included in the statistical population. For the coverage of economic activities according to their status (mandatory or on voluntary basis), see section "3.3 Sector coverage" above.

Beyond all the EU Member States, CIS 2012 has been conducted in three associated countries (Norway, Serbia and Turkey).

CIS 2012 results like the results of each Community Innovation Survey are available in separate sections in Eurobase. This is because of changes in the questionnaire and scope.

Not applicable

CIS 2012 indicators are available according to 3 units of measure:

NBR: Number of enterprises for all indicators except for the indicators EMP10/EMP12 (total number of employees in 2010 and in 2012) which NBR refers to the number of employees

THS_EUR : Thousands of euros, all the financial variables are provided in thousands of euros, i.e. turnover 2010, turnover 2012 and innovation expenditures in 2012)

PC : Percentage (the percentage is the ratio between the selected combination of indicator and type of innovators and - in most of cases - the total category of the selected type of innovators). The user is invited to consult the file "CIS2012_percentages" in Annex in which all the computed derivations is detailed.

In CIS 2012, most questions and by consequence most indicators cover the reference period 2010-2012, i.e. the 3-year period from the beginning of 2010 to the end of 2012.

As regards the indicators on innovation expenditures for product and process innovations, the reference period is only one year, 2012. Spain also used only 2012 as reference period to collect the number of enterprises engaged in innovation activities. The other countries used the 3-year period for these indicators.

Moreover, basic economic indicators (turnover and employment) were also requested for 2010 and for 2012 in the CIS 2012 questionnaire.

CIS 2012 survey was based on Commission Regulation No 995/2012, implementing Decision No 1608/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology.

This Regulation makes innovation statistics on a statutory basis and makes the delivery of certain variables compulsory. In addition, it defines the obligatory cross-coverage (combination of sector and size class).

Not applicable.

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164) refers to the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

Primary and secondary confidentiality of CIS data are flagged by the countries.

The objective is to protect cells against absolute and approximate disclosure but to also minimize information loss in order to increase the usefulness of the CIS data. Eurostat takes the complete flagging as given and is not executing any additional measure than removing flagged data while publishing the results. Primary and secondary confidentiality is respected for any data publicly released.

The European aggregates are not made available if one or two countries sent confidential data for the concerned indicator.  

No official calendar is available for CIS data release. However, CIS data can be expected in the course of the second semester of even-numbered years.

No official calendar is available for CIS data release. However, CIS data can be expected in the course of the second semester of even-numbered years.

In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.

Since 2004, Community Innovation Surveys have been conducted every two years.

News Releases on-line (ad-hoc).

Statistics Explained (article: Innovation statistics)

Users can consult free data on-line Eurobase / science and technology.

The CIS microdata sets are available exclusively for research purpose. The access is provided according to contracts established between Eurostat and the corresponding research institution.

Two versions of microdata are made available, they differ on the level of information retained:

• Secure use files: confidential data as obtained from the national authorities. They allow only indirect identification of the statistical units concerned. The access to these data is only possible in the Eurostat SAFE Centre.

• Scientific use files: anonymised microdata sets extracted from the aforementioned data. The individual statistical records which have been modified in order to minimise, in accordance with current best practice, the risk of indirect identification of the statistical units to which they relate. This access is given via distribution of encrypted CD-ROM.

In both cases, regional level data are not available in the datasets and the enterprises cannot be tracked from a wave to another given that CIS data is not panel data.

The implementation frameworks for release of EU microdata for scientific purposes are defined in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/2002.

Detailed information on CIS microdata access are available at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/community-innovation-survey

CIS data is also used, amongst others, in the European Innovation Scoreboards.

Please see Annex.

Detailed information on the quality of the national 2012 Community Innovation surveys will be made available in the CIS 2012 ‘Synthesis Quality Reports’ in 2015. Users interested in quality aspects of the previous surveys may refer to the CIS 2010 ‘Synthesis Quality Reports’ available in Annex of this document (see bottom of the page) or for previous waves to the annex of metadata related to the previous waves.

In accordance with Annex III to Commission Regulation No 995/2012, the provision of the Quality Report by the Member States is now mandatory. This report includes key quality indicators such as non-response rates, coefficient of variation, etc.

The CIS Quality Report that has to be filled by the countries is in conformity with the ESS (European Statistical System) Standard for Quality Reports structure.

A high degree of harmonisation in concepts and methods has been achieved through the adoption of Commission Regulation No 995/2012, the Oslo Manual for the compilation of innovation statistics and the Harmonised CIS Questionnaire.

However, countries may deviate from the harmonised questionnaire by introducing additional questions and/or modifying the existing questions in order to satisfy specific national needs.

The CIS 2012 provides an understanding of the types of innovation introduced by the enterprises, their features and their development. Amongst others, information on sources of information, cooperation, methods for maintaining or increasing the competitiveness is provided by the survey. CIS also allows some cross-analyses using economic indicators such as the number of employees or turnover.

Since 2000, the CIS has also become a major data source for the ‘Innovation Union Scoreboard’ and the ‘Regional Innovation Scoreboard’.

A user satisfaction survey is generally not carried out. Countries receive mainly ad-hoc feedback from users.

Almost all of the countries transmitted all the compulsory statistics on innovation in the 2012 survey.

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not applicable

not applicable

According to Commission Regulation No 995/2012, national CIS statistics must be delivered to Eurostat within 18 months from the end of the reference year.

Most countries conform to the Regulation and delivered the data by the requested time.

Eurostat made available CIS 2012 data in November 2014.

The vast majority of countries are very punctual in delivering CIS data to Eurostat.

In order to ensure comparability across countries, Eurostat, in close cooperation with the EU Member States and other countries, has developed a standard core questionnaire for each CIS round, with an accompanying set of definitions and methodological recommendations. However, in the CIS 2012 context, deviations from the target population or from the Harmonised Questionnaire are listed here below:

* Spain (ES) used the single year 2012 as reference period to collect the number of enterprises engaged in innovation activities (Harmonised Questionnaire includes the 3-year reference period 2010-2012). Regarding these innovation activities, "item on design" was not requested separately as it is the case in the Harmonised Questionnaire therefore all the enterprises engaged in design activities (RDSG) are encompassed in the indicator "Enterprises, engaged in other innovation activities" (ROTHE_YES).

Deviation has been also reported regarding the breakdowns for the sources of information: category "clients or customers" has not been split between the public and the private sector. In the table inn_cis8_sou related to the sources of information for enterprises, the values related to the indicators "clients or customers from the private sector" (i.e. SCLPR_HIGH and SCLPR_NU) include the respective category "clients or customers from the public sector" (SCLPU_HIGH and SCLPU_NU). All the concerned indicators are flagged accordingly with the flag "d" (definition differs).

* Italy (IT) used the number of employed persons instead of the number of employees to measure employment and make size class. Moreover, categories of expenditures (inn_cis8_exp) spent in innovation activities are requested in a more detailed form, expenditures in design are asked separately. However, all the categories of innovation expenditures reported by Italy are comparable with other countries.

* Sweden (SE) included all the research institutes in the CIS 2012. Most of them belong to the NACE 72 (Scientific research and development) which is included in the Core NACE coverage. However, a very few of these research institutes belong to a NACE category not covered by CIS and are included in the reported values (tiny impact is reported).

* Germany (DE) : variables on the development of goods innovation refer actually to product innovation that encompasses goods and services innovation instead of good inovation only. The following variables presented in table inn_CIS8_prod are therefore related to both good and service innovation: INPDTG1-Enterprises that developed goods innovation by themselves; INPDTG2-Enterprises that developed goods innovation in cooperation with other enterprises or institutions; INPDTG3-Enterprises that developed goods innovation by adapting or modifying goods originally developed by other enterprises or institutions and INPDTG4 - Enterprises that introduced goods innovation developed by other enterprises or institutions.

CIS 2012 includes the most recent changes recommended by the latest Oslo Manual guidelines: CIS 2012 reports data on product, process, organisation and marketing innovation. The ad-hoc module in the 2012 survey is on the strategies and obstacles for reaching the enterprises goals.

Compared to CIS 2010, the following changes have been made in the CIS 2012 questionnaire that generate new or altered indicators:

1. A new question 1.2 has been included to identify firm activities (e.g. mergers, establishing subsidiaries) that can influence employment growth.

2. A new question 2.5 has been included asking for the share of turnover due to world first product innovations.

3. Some of the definitions used in question 5.1 have been changed.

4. A new activity has been included in question 5.2 capturing expenditures in design, training, marketing and other innovation activities.

5. Clients or customers from the public sector have been added to questions 6.1 and 6.2 to differentiate between private and public sector clients.

6. The CIS 2010 question 7.1 on the importance of objectives for innovation has been replaced by a question on the effectiveness of different methods for maintaining or increasing competitiveness of product and process innovations.

7. The CIS 2010 question on hampering factors is not used in the CIS 2012.

8. Two new questions 10.1 and 10.2 of the importance of public sector procurement have been included.

1- Innovation-related variables are unique to CIS and comparisons with other statistics are not possible.

2- However, the coherence between CIS and SBS statistics is very satisfactory on common variables (turnover, employees).

No imputation has been done for missing data. EU aggregates have been calculated only when all countries data were available.  

Information is not available.

Not applicable.

The figures are revised only when inconsistencies are found. Upon release, data are final unless otherwise stated.

All aggregations and indicators presented in CIS collections are based on data from the national CIS data collections.

Countries generally carry out a stratified sample survey in order to collect the data, while a number of countries used a census or a mix of census and sample survey. The target population is to be broken down into strata for sampling purposes. The variables to be used for this purpose are size (according to number of employees) and the activity classification (NACE). These two variables are highly correlated with innovation activity. The size-classes should at least be broke down in 3 categories: 10-49 employees (small enterprises), 50-249 employees (medium-sized enterprises), 250 + employees (large enterprises). Stratification by NACE Rev 2 has been in general by 2-digit level (division) or groups of division.

The sampling frame to be used for the sample is mostly the official statistical business register.

The frequency of CIS is biennial.

Eurostat collects aggregated data and microdata from countries every two years. At the national level, data are mainly collected via online or mail surveys but some countries choose also other collection methods as face to face interviews.

Participating countries had to fill the csv template or the Excel tables presented in different sheets, both including all the requested indicators according to the related type of innovators, NACE category and size class. Once filled by the countries, the file was sent to Eurostat by Edamis and converted into a csv file by Eurostat for production database loading.

The micro and the aggregated data are checked and corrected for detected inconsistencies. Quality controls are done on aggregated and microdata at national level and at the Eurostat level. The vast majority of variables are cross-checked to verify the consistency of the answers. A quality report is produced by the countries in order to report deviations if any.

At the national level, as in any regular sample survey, the countries extrapolate the collected data with the appropriate weighting scheme for obtaining the population totals. At Eurostat, the European aggregates are summed up from the national data.

If non-response in the national survey exceeds 30 % based on the ratio between non-responding and operating enterprises in the sample population as a whole, a non-response analysis was recommended. At least a 10 % sample of the relevant non-respondents should be drawn and a non-response survey then undertaken.

In CIS surveys, some countries added a few extra questions for national purposes and some countries excluded some or all of the optional questions.