3.6 Sources of information for innovation
Why is it significant?
Business draws on a much broader range of mechanisms than just licensing and spin-outs to access information from the science and engineering base (SEB). Firms also need to access a wider range of information than just scientific advances. This can include information on potential markets, and on management practices.
	How does the UK perform?
	Forty per cent of innovating businesses cite the SEB as a source of information. Larger enterprises are more likely to engage with these specialized external sources of technology, and consequently, the overall employment associated with ‘technology-networked innovators’ is substantial. These businesses account for around 57 per cent of employment in innovation active businesses. Of these, the citation levels for the component SEB sources are shown in table 3.6.1.
	A recent study found that joint publishing increased significantly in the UK between the period 1981/85 and 1996/2000 from 2,931 to 8,366 papers (chart 3.6.2).