2012 Survey Findings: The State of Firm-Level Innovation in Canada

2012 Survey Findings: The State of Firm-Level Innovation in Canada is the first of three reports based on an extensive survey of Canadian industry that probes deep into the ways that firms strategize, plan, manage, and conduct their innovation activities. The 2012 Centre for Business Innovation Survey on Innovation Management in Canadian Companies generated over 630 responses from leaders in firms of all sizes, many industrial sectors, and all provinces and territories of Canada. The survey collected data on innovation activities and their intensity, firms’ business models, competitive culture, sources of innovation, perceived challenges to innovation, various aspects of innovation management, and the factors that affect innovation performance in Canadian firms. This first report documents Canadian firms’ innovation strategy preferences, the types of innovations pursued, the intensity of innovation activities, the sources of innovation, and their challenges to innovation. The report provides a foundation for identifying ways that Canadian companies can enhance their innovation performance through improved management and other measures.