Innovation activity - 2024

During the period 2022 - 2024, 26.3% of the enterprises with 10 or more persons employed carried out an innovation activity. The innovation activity of the enterprises in the industrial sector^[1] (33.1%) was higher than of those in the services sector^[2] (20.2%). The largest share of innovation active enterprises was in the group of the large enterprises (with 250 or more persons employed) - 84.0% in industry and 71.6% in services.

In 2024, the turnover of innovation active enterprises constituted 59.2% of the turnover, and the persons employed - 56.5% of the persons employed in all enterprises. 

During the observation period, 13.8% of all enterprises realized product innovations (new or improved goods or services), while 18.2% implemented new or improved business processes.

Among the enterprises with product innovations, the largest share was of those that during the period 2022 - 2024 realized on the market only new or improved goods - 53.1%. New or improved services were provided by 25.4% of the enterprises, while both new or improved goods and services - by 21.5%.

During the period 2022 - 2024, 44.0% of the enterprises with product innovations realized goods or services that were new not only to them but to the market as well, i.e. not previously offered by their competitors.

During the observation period, the enterprises implemented various business process innovations, as most of them introduced new or improved methods for producing goods or providing services (8.8%) as well as methods for information processing or communication (8.3%).

 During the period 2022 - 2024 more than 20.0% of the innovation active enterprises introduced innovations with the following environmental benefits for them:

• Reduced energy use or CO2 ‘footprint’ (i.e. reduced total CO2 emission) - 25.0%;
• Recycled waste, water, or materials for own use or sale - 21.9%;
• Replaced a share of materials with less polluting or hazardous substitutes - 21.2%;

In order to carry out their innovation activity, 25.4% of the innovation active enterprises were involved in co-operation with other enterprises, scientific organizations and other partners. For large enterprises (with 250 or more persons employed) this share was 35.9%.

In 2024, 38.7% of the turnover of innovation active enterprises was realized by sales to foreign customers, as 22.8% was due to customers from Member States of the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and 15.9% - due to customers from other countries. Clients from Bulgaria generated 61.3% of the turnover of innovation active enterprises, while for not innovation active enterprises this share was higher - 66.1%.

Methodological notes

The statistical survey on innovation activity is conducted every even year, and the observation period covered by the survey is the three-year period.

Units of observation are all enterprises of non-financial and financial sector with 10 or more persons employed engaged primarily in the following economic activities (NACE Rev. 2): Mining and quarrying; Manufacturing; Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities; Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transportation and storage; Information and communication; Financial and insurance activities; Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis; Scientific research and development; Advertising and market research.

An innovation is a new or improved product (good or service) or business process that differs significantly from the enterprise’s previous products or business processes and that has been implemented on the market or brought into use by the enterprise.

An innovation active enterprise is an enterprise engaged during the observation period 2022 - 2024 in one or more activities to develop or implement new or improved products or business processes.

A product innovation is a new or improved good or service that differs significantly from the enterprise’s previous goods or services and that has been implemented on the market. It includes significant changes to the design of the goods. Simple re-sale of new goods and changes of a solely aesthetic nature are excluded. 

A business process innovation is a new or improved business process for one or more business functions that differs significantly from the enterprise’s previous business processes and that has been implemented within the firm. Business process innovations include new or improved methods for: producing goods or providing services; logistics, delivery or distribution; information processing or communication; accounting or other administrative operations; business practices for organising procedures or external relations; organising work responsibility, decision making or human resource management and marketing methods for promotion, packaging, pricing, product placement or after sales services.

Innovations should be new to the enterprise concerned, but they do not necessarily have to be new to the market, i.e. the enterprise does not necessarily have to be the first one to have produced these products (goods or services) or introduced these business processes.

Innovation activity includes all developmental, financial and commercial activities undertaken by the enterprise that are intended to result in innovations.

^[1] Sector Industry includes: Mining and quarrying; Manufacturing; Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities.

^[2] Sector Services includes: Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transportation and storage; Information and communication; Financial and insurance activities; Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis; Scientific research and development; Advertising and market research.