Statistics Estonia’s Innovation Survey provides information on the level of innovation in businesses, providing important data for developing the business landscape and for innovation policy decisions.
Innovation involves the introduction of new or significantly improved products or services and the adoption of new business processes.
It aims to create value and competitive advantage that supports business development and productivity, contributing to economic growth.
The Business Innovation Survey is carried out every two years.
According to the most recent data (2020-2022), the innovation performance of Estonian enterprises is declining.
According to Statistics Estonia, 53% of enterprises innovated between 2020 and 2022, and the survey shows that the innovation performance of enterprises is 11 percentage points lower than in the previous period.
As the innovation performance of companies was also in decline in the period 2018-2020 (having previously been among the highest in the EU), the total decline over 4 years is 20 percentage points.
The most innovative companies are pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical preparations manufacturers in the industrial sector, and as expected the ICT sector in the services sector. Screenshot 2024 05 29 At 20.43.09 According to Nele Saarelaid, an analyst at Statistics Estonia, the main reason for the decline in the level of innovation is the decrease in process innovation, while product innovation has increased somewhat.
Difficult economic conditions, including the war in Ukraine, inflation, COVID-19 and the energy crisis, have certainly contributed to the decline in innovation.
While overall innovation has declined, R&D spending has increased.
In 2022, €921 million was invested in innovation, almost half of which was spent on R&D. The EU’s economic and social crisis has contributed to the decline in innovation.
The industrial and service sectors are relatively equal in innovation, with large companies being the most active innovators.
Read more Statistics Estonia blog.
See also innovation factsheet.
More detailed data are published in Statistics Estonia’s statistical database. For more information, please contact Heidi Kukk, Head of Media Relations, Statistics Division, Statistics Estonia tel +372 625 9181. press@stat.ee