邁入知識經濟及全球化趨勢新紀元,創新活動對產業競爭力常有關鍵性的影響。然而,創新活動的範圍包羅萬象,如技術、策略、管理、組織、及行銷等,且會發生在經濟體系的任何部門或單位,包括政府機構中的健康和教育單位,但目前僅有「技術創新」可以客觀的量化方式研究。1991年初期由歐盟開始發貣創新調查(Community Innovation Survey,CIS),其主要目的是蒐集各個企業在技術創新過程中投入與產出的資料,調查分析結果可以對創新政策的發展及新技術的擴散與移轉有所貢獻。我國的產業結構多以中小企業為主,中小企業雖然沒有太多的研發活動,仍然能夠生產許多改良過或全新產品,顯示中小企業的技術創新活動應該是相當活躍,並且為企業帶來競爭的優勢。整體而言,台灣的企業在使用技術上新製程的表現較推出技術上新產品的表現好,但在創新的內容方面則多是以引進機械設備、專利取得的方式進而達成的創新,也就是所謂「購買的技術」,顯示我國企業的創新仍停留在跟隨者的角色上。面對大環境的改變,台灣努力的重點應由「漸進式改善型」為基礎的經濟,轉型到「發明式突破型」為基礎的經濟以因應未來。各種企業中創新知識的應用與流動情形,中小企業、科技產業與傳統產業對於技術創新的需求與體認,或是有何種因素阻礙了技術創新的計畫與活動等,可提供給政府在制定相關科技及財經政策時的參考,同時也可為企業帶來競爭的優勢。
Faced with the increasing tendency of global competition, enterprises need to have technological innovation if they hope to enhance business competitive competence as well as competitive advantages. The innovation activities have influence on the competitiveness of industry. However, the ranges of the innovation activities include technology, tactic, management, organization, marketing and so on. And the innovation activities will happen in any department or unit of the economic system, including healthy and educational unit in the government organs. Only there is technological innovation can be quantification at present.The EU began for the first time to develop Community Innovation Survey (CIS) in 1991. The main goal was to collect data on how enterprises in different countries invest in the technological innovation process, and on the products of this process. The results of the analysis of such surveys can make contribution to the development of innovation policies and to the spread and transfer of new technology. The industrial structure of Taiwan is composed mainly of small and medium-size enterprises.In Taiwan, the enterprises use technological new process is represented well than put out the new products on technology. The contents of technological innovations of enterprises are ”technology bought”, it implies that innovation of enterprise still stay role in follower in Taiwan. Face with the change environment, the enterprises should be from the economy based on ”the progressive improving type” transition to economy based on ”the inventing type breaking through type” in the future. The application and flow of innovation knowledge in different kinds of enterprise; demand for and recognition of technological innovation in small and medium enterprises, in the science and technology industry, and in traditional industry; and the different constraints on technological innovation activity, this can provide the government an important reference when setting science, technology, finance and economic policy and the same time the technological innovation also can brings the competition advantage to enterprises.