Preliminary data from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) 2008 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) provide a map of the incidence of innovation by businesses located in the United States. These data are based on respondents to the survey and represent an estimated 1.5 million for-profit companies, publicly or privately held, with five or more employees, active in the United States in 2008.
The new data indicate that in the period 2006-2008, about 22 percent of the manufacturing companies introduced product innovations (one or more new or significantly improved goods or services) and about 22 percent introduced "process innovations (one or more new or significantly improved methods for manufacturing or production; logistics; delivery or distribution; and support activities). In comparison, about eight percent of companies in the non-manufacturing sector were product innovators and eight percent were process innovators. Nonetheless, much higher innovation incidences were observed in the manufacturing sub-sectors of chemicals, computer/electronic products, and electrical equipment/appliances/components, and in some parts of the non-manufacturing sectors of information and professional/scientific/technical services. Further, the BRDIS data indicate that companies that perform and/or fund research and development (R&D) have a far higher incidence of innovation than do companies without any R&D activity.
Preliminary data indicate that overall about nine percent of the estimated 1.5 million for-profit companies were active product innovators in 2006-2008. The corresponding figure for process innovators was also about nine percent. Nevertheless, a wider range of innovation incidences is evident when more narrowly defined industry groups (manufacturing, non-manufacturing, and their subsectors) are distinguished. These data indicate that the incidence of U.S. innovation varies substantially by industry sector.
For additional information, the entire survey results may be viewed here:
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf11300/nsf11300.pdf
