Companies expected to increase spending on innovation by almost 6% in 2009

6.3% Of the turnover of enterprises Catalan innovative was earmarked for spending on innovation in 2008. Again, the industry has exceeded this average, with 7.4 per cent. While the construction and trade have been below the Catalan media, with 5.1 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, and the hotels and services to businesses near the middle.

While the number of innovative companies will decrease compared to 2008, the spending of these companies will increase: the percentage of innovative enterprises which says that his dispensary in innovation increase (50%) more than in length to the companies that said that it will decrease (from 13 per cent).

All the sectors surveyed expected an increase in spending on innovation in 2009, despite the crisi. Even and thus the percentage of companies that indicates a decline in investment in innovation is quite higher than the average, something which is reflected in the growth of spending on innovation planned for 2009 in the industry. Indeed, the paying-up of innovative businesses will grow 5.9% in 2009, while in the industry will 3.2%, increase that only exceeds that laid down in the construction (2.4%). Other sectors provides a significant increase of the expenditure in innovation: 16 per cent in trade retailer, and 10% in hotels and in the business services.

The effort of the smaller innovative companies (less than 10 employees) by size of company results. These provide for growth of spending on innovation of 16.4 per cent in 2009, exceeding of the enterprises of 10 to 49 employees (9.3%) and the more than 50 workers (3.2%).

However, it should be noted that for the industry the second most important factor is the difficulty of access - for 48% of companies - credit, as the weakness of demand - 51%. In the case of trade and the hotels, the second most important factor is also the difficulties of access to credit, quite similar to the industry as a percentage of companies.

According to the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, to make optimal conditions for innovation should:

• Maintain tax deductions on r & d more than 2012. In 2007, the Chamber presented the results of a survey in which the Catalan companies pointed to tax deductions in innovation as one of the three rather valued innovation promotion policies.
• Making more flexible the conditions for granting of credit to the innovative activities. Solvents and innovative business projects should not stop due to lack of funding. "In the current situation of tightening of the conditions of access to credit the Government should assess the establishment of a credit line Ico for financing of investment in innovation and not just investment to promote the use of ICT"say from the Chamber.
• Coordinate the tasks of the authorities and/or departments of same in the implementation of innovation policy and administration in the handling of aid. This measure is included in the national plan of scientific research, development and business innovation 2008-2011 of Spain. Also, the Catalan Agency believes that it should make public anything that is being done and to evaluate its effectiveness.