The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) is an annual report by the European Commission that provides a comparative assessment of the research and innovation performance of EU member states, other European countries, and global competitors. It uses a set of indicators to identify strengths and weaknesses in national innovation systems, track progress, and help countries focus efforts on areas needed to boost their innovation performance. The EIS is structured around four main dimensions: Framework Conditions, Investments, Innovation Activities, and Impacts.
The innovation performance score of each country – also called the summary innovation index (SII) – is calculated based on 32 indicators capturing a broad range of activities and factors related to innovation.
For more information on the European Innovation Scoreboard visit Europa website.
Research and Development (R&D) is creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to create new or improved products, processes, services or other applications. R&D is distinguishable from other activities by the presence of an appreciable element of novelty and by the resolution of problems and uncertainties using scientific or technological means. Routine activities, such as routine software development, routine monitoring/analysis or pre-production preparation, where there is no appreciable novelty or problem resolution, are not considered to be R&D for the purpose of this survey.
The Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD) Survey 2023-2024 is a survey of the R&D activities of enterprises in Ireland and other EU member states.
The BERD Survey is carried out under Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2152. The survey collects information about the R&D activities of enterprises across all business sectors of the economy. Most questions gather information on the spending and performance of R&D.
More information is available in the Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD) Survey 2023-2024 Background Notes.
The Information Society Statistics - Enterprises (ISSE) 2025 results show the extent of digitalisation among Irish businesses. By surveying enterprises about a range of areas including Internet Access, E-Commerce, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence, the ISSE release gives a broad picture of the ways in which ICT is used in business practices.
Topics and items covered by the survey can change from year-to-year to reflect the development and emergence of new technologies and their role in business. This means new modules may be introduced each year and modules that were not included may be re-introduced in future years. The 2025 survey included questions on Internet Access & ICT Usage, E-Commerce, Data Analytics & Utilisation, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and the Environment.
The results of the ISSE cover enterprises with ten or more persons engaged in the manufacturing, construction and selected services sectors.
Regarding data analytics & utilisation, enterprises use data in various ways to support and enhance business processes, including:
More information is available in the Information Society Statistics - Enterprises 2024 Background Notes.
The Community Innovation Survey (CIS), published as Innovation in Irish Enterprises (IIE), is a survey of innovation activities of enterprises in Ireland and other EU member states.
The CIS is carried out under the Statistics (Community Innovation Survey) Order 2023 (S.I. No. 223 of 2023) made under the Statistics Act, 1993. The survey collects information about product and process innovation, as well as organisational and marketing innovations and other key variables during the three-year period 2020 to 2022 inclusive. Most questions cover new or significantly improved goods or services or the implementation of new or significantly improved products or business processes.
The Oslo Manual (OECD/Eurostat, 2018) defines innovation as a new or improved product, process, or combination of both that differs from previous products or processes and that has been made available to users or brought into use.
Product Innovation: The market introduction of a new or a significantly improved good or service with respect to its capabilities, user friendliness, components or sub-systems. The product innovation could either be new to the market or new to the firm.
Process Innovation: The implementation of a new or significantly improved production process, distribution method, or support activity for goods and services. The process innovation could either be new to the market or new to the firm.
New to Market Innovation: An innovation activity, which saw the introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service by the firm onto its operating market before other competitors.
New to Firm Innovation: An innovation activity which saw the introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service to the firm, and which was already available from competitors in the operating sector.
Innovation Expenditure: Spending on activities to support and implement production or process innovations.
Organisational Innovation: The implementation of new or significant changes in firm structure or management methods that are intended to improve your firm’s use of knowledge, the quality of your goods and services or the efficiency of workflows.
Marketing Innovation: The implementation of a new marketing concept or strategy that differs significantly from your enterprise’s 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.
Technological Innovation comprise new products or processes, whether ongoing or abandoned during the survey period.
Non Technological Innovation refer to either organisational or marketing innovations.
More information is available in the Innovation in Irish Enterprises 2022 Background Notes.
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