Innovationsaktivitäten kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen

The innovation activities of enterprises are the key to the competitiveness of the German economy. The complete results of the innovation-statistics of the Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) appear for the first time before the general public owing to this publication.
By the development of specialities on the market, small and medium-sized enterprises are instrumental to the innovation capability both of German economy and technical progress.
The importance of the SMEs is not only estimated by research and development activities. Very often innovations derive from construction and subsequent prototype development.
The study shows however, that barriers impede the individual innovation, research and development activities. Financial restrictions and problems in technology transfer are the main reasons for the unsatisfactory use of innovation capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises. The study also deals with economic policy operational actions to strengthen the innovation power of enterprises in Germany.