Between 2014 and 2016, in the 15-nation European Union (EU15), 57% of companies with 10 or more employees made innovations, whether technological (products or processes) or not (marketing or organisation). This proportion ranges from 37% in Spain to 68% in Belgium. It is close to the average in France (58%) and is higher in Germany (64%).

For technological innovations alone, the proportion of innovative companies is lower: 45% in the EU15.

The propensity to innovate increases with enterprise size and is highest in the manufacturing sector, particularly due to the existence of fixed costs, such as research expenditure. When correcting for sectoral structure and size effects, the differences between countries remain substantial. Thus, applying to France the proportions of innovative companies by size and sector that exist in Germany explains only 17% of the difference between the two countries.

Weighting by turnover allows a better understanding of the differences by size. According to this indicator, the proportion of innovative companies is highest in Germany: 85%. In France, this proportion is 74%, which is the average for the EU15.

In 2016, the proportion of innovative companies in the EU15 finds its 2008 level, after having fallen between 2008 and 2012. In addition, the gap between Germany, the leading country in 2008, and the other countries is decreasing.