Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest information and communication technology is Australia’s most active sector for innovation with manufacturing coming a close second.
Forty-six per cent of businesses in information, media and telecommunications introduced an innovation in 2006-07.
That was well above the average for all businesses at 32 per cent and just above second-placed manufacturing at 44 per cent.
Thirty-five per cent of firms said they used information technology skills in their innovation activities — no other category of skills rated higher.
With the private sector driving most information and communication technology innovation, Australia spent $2.5 billion on ICT research and development in 2004-05.
Eighty-seven per cent or $2.2 billion of that was spent by business.
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