A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

Ladislav Ludvík and Jindra Peterková
3. The size structure and innovation activities of enterprises in the Czech
Republic
3.1 The size structure of enterprises
There are more than 1.1 million entrepreneurially active businesses (in 2011) in the Czech Republic.
This means that one company gets a share of 10 residents. Over the past five years (2007-2011), the
number of active entrepreneurial subjects has increased by almost 24%. The statistical distribution of
enterprises by size groups is very uneven (see Table 1). The biggest number is represented by microenterprises
(nearly 95%). Small enterprises (10-49 employees) represent about 4%, medium-sized
enterprises 1%. Only two enterprises out of a thousand belong to the group of large enterprises. Over
the past five years, the most noticeable growth has been seen in the group of micro-enterprises (more
than 25%), within which enterprises without employees have been on the increase (an increase of
33%). The remaining groups more or less have stayed the same in numbers.
A group of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, known as SMEs, represents 99.8% of all
enterprises in the country. In addition to its significant abundance and diversity it has special features.
It is significant in terms of employment in the corporate sector. It produces about 60% of employment.
In value added, as an important indicator of economic activity, it is involved in approximately 54%, in
performance 50% performance, 50% in exports etc.
Large enterprises, which numerically create only 0.2%, realise the remaining "half" of the Czech
economy. They decisively influence real economic and corporate events. It could be said they form a
substantially different business world. This applies particularly in companies that are affiliates of large
transnational corporations.
Similar relationships among large enterprises and SMEs are characteristic for the EU countries with
regard to some of the specifics of their development.
Table 1: The development of quantity of enterprises by size groups
1)
Active enterprises which demonstrated their size in the number of employees
Source: Own processing based on the statistical data of Czech Statistical Office
3.2 Innovative activities of enterprises
What about innovation activities in the corporate sector in the Czech Republic? Innovation Statistics
Office conducts a selective investigation in two-year cycles. The Czech Republic in the harmonization
process in 2002 joined the EU-wide statistical survey on innovation. Within the EU the first innovation
survey was in 1993. Over the years there have been some changes in the
trace. Last survey was
conducted
for the period 2008-2010. Interesting findings result from them.
Between 2004 and 2010 the share of innovative enterprises in all enterprises is around 50%, which
means that every other enterprise innovated (see Figure 1). The period 2006-2008 appears to be
favourable for innovations, in the next period there is a decrease in innovative activity. In enterprises
that were developing innovations by an activity, the dominant were the non-technical innovations. The
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