Insee Première · July 2022 · n° 1916

Almost half of companies declared to be innovative between 2018 and 2020, with an environmental benefit in one third of them

Between 2018 and 2020, 47% of companies employing with 10 or more employees in the non-agricultural market sectors were innovative, more often in processes (41%) than in products (21%).

Innovation was more common in the information and communication sector (74% of innovative companies), specialized, scientific and technical activities (56%), industry (54%) and financial and insurance activities (52%). The propensity to innovate increased with firm size.

Firms spending on innovation activities in 2020 spent on average 8% of their turnover on innovation. Three quarters of that allocated capital was spent in research and development.

In 2020, the health crisis had an impact on the innovations of almost a third of companies, whether it was the introduction of an unplanned, anticipated, postponed or abandoned innovation.

One innovating company out of three believed that their innovation had generated significant environmental benefits at company or end-user level, such as improved recycling or greater energy efficiency.

Half of companies did not innovate because they had other priorities, or they considered the costs of innovation too high or they did not have enough qualified staff.