The 224-page EU Innobarometer survey was carried out by EOS
Gallup Europe to assess the take-up of public sector innovation
support programmes.
While 31% of innovative EU firms used at least one form of
public sector support, only 12% used public schemes for which they
were eligible. Seventy-one percent thought that public sector
support was not crucial to realising an innovation project.
A total of 4,534 executives from EU companies with 20-500
employees were questioned for the survey in September and October
2004.
Only 13% of firms used an innovation network that included other
companies, universities or research bodies.
Only 12% of all firms questioned had applied for a patent. "This
could be explained," said the report, "by the irrelevance of
patents for firms in the service sector but we could nevertheless
wonder if certain firms are receiving an adequate financial award
for their invention as the vast majority have not even requested
the licence for exclusive rights to sell their innovative
product."
Fourteen percent had registered international trade marks.
Of the firms classed as innovative, however, the figures were
higher: 41% have applied for a patent and 46% have registered one
or more international trade marks.
