Jensen, P.H., Palangkaraya, A., Stierwald, A. and Webster, E. (2010). Examining the Characteristics of Innovative Firms in Australia, A Report for the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, Canberra.
Innovation determines productivity and productivity determines real incomes. Governments can affect this process of change via rigorous, evidence-based industry policy. However, there is currently limited empirical analysis about which Australian firms are innovating and the effects of innovation on performance at the firm level. This report aims to fill this gap via a systematic analysis of innovative firms in Australia, with a special focus on the manufacturing industry. To achieve this, we have used data from the Business Longitudinal Database (and the BLS 1994–97), IBISWorld, the Australian Inventor Survey, and the IPRIA R&D Scoreboard.