Variable definitions and descriptive statistics
| Variable name | Definition | Mean | St Dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house R&D | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where a firm has invested in internal R&D during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.653 | 0.477 |
| External R&D | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where a firm has invested in external R&D during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.472 | 0.500 |
| New-to-market product innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has introduced a new or significantly improved product innovation (goods or services) to the market before their competitors (it may have already been available in other markets) during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.497 | 0.501 |
| New-to-firm product innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has introduced a new or significantly improved product innovation (goods or services) that was only new to the enterprise during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.386 | 0.488 |
| Process innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where the firm implemented new or significantly improved methods for producing goods or providing services, logistics, delivery or distribution methods, methods for information processing or communication, methods for accounting or other administrative operations during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.628 | 0.484 |
| Exploratory linkages | Count variable which takes a value of 0–10 depending on the number of co-operation partners the organisation had as part of its innovation activity from 2017–2019. Partners could include consultants, suppliers, enterprises that are competitors, enterprises within the firms’ enterprise group, other enterprises, universities or higher education institutions (HEI’s), public research institutes, customers from the public sector, customers from the private sector and nonprofit organisations | 3.135 | 3.241 |
| Exploitative linkages | Count variable which takes the value of 0–4 depending on the number of non-interactive linkages the organisation has interacted with as part of its innovation activity. Linkages could include conferences, scientific journals, industry associations and other data sources | 1.462 | 1.274 |
| Customer linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with customers from the public sector or customers from the private sector, 0 otherwise | 0.417 | 0.494 |
| Supplier or consultant linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with suppliers or consultants, 0 otherwise | 0.532 | 0.500 |
| Competitor linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with competitors or enterprises in the organisation’s own enterprise group or other enterprises, 0 otherwise | 0.396 | 0.491 |
| Public linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with universities, research institutes, nonprofit or organisations or government, 0 otherwise | 0.349 | 0.478 |
| Conferences | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents indicated their attendance at conferences, trade fairs or exhibitions, 0 otherwise | 0.508 | 0.501 |
| Scientific journals | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had consulted scientific journals or trade/technical publications, 0 otherwise | 0.422 | 0.495 |
| Industry associations | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents are involved in professional associations or industry associations, 0 otherwise | 0.517 | 0.500 |
| Other data sources | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where other any other data source not previously mentioned (such as internet searches) are considered for the enterprise’s innovation, 0 otherwise | 0.015 | 0.122 |
| Employment (log) | The natural log of the number employees reported in 2019 | 2.346 | 1.953 |
| Firm age | The natural log of a continuous variable which is calculated by subtracting the year the firm was established from the current year (2021) | 2.618 | 1.103 |
| % University education | The percentage of the organisation’s employees who have obtained a third level qualification (i.e. university, college, HEI) | 68.387 | 34.297 |
| Multi-plant | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has more than one plant, 0 otherwise | 0.442 | 0.497 |
| Received subsidy | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where an organisation has received public financial support for acquiring knowledge or innovation activities from one of or a combination of local government, regional government, national government and European-level government during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.467 | 0.501 |
| Asset owner/Operator and other type firm | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as an asset owner/operator, 0 otherwise | 0.101 | 0.301 |
| Project developer | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a project developer, 0 otherwise | 0.105 | 0.308 |
| Technology supplier | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a technology supplier, 0 otherwise | 0.351 | 0.478 |
| Service or consultancy | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a service or consultancy provider, 0 otherwise | 0.442 | 0.497 |
| UK | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in the UK, 0 otherwise | 0.512 | 0.501 |
| Ireland | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in the Republic of Ireland, 0 otherwise | 0.306 | 0.462 |
| Europe | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in another European country other than Ireland or the UK, 0 otherwise | 0.181 | 0.385 |
| Variable name | Definition | Mean | St Dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house R&D | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where a firm has invested in internal R&D during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.653 | 0.477 |
| External R&D | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where a firm has invested in external R&D during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.472 | 0.500 |
| New-to-market product innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has introduced a new or significantly improved product innovation (goods or services) to the market before their competitors (it may have already been available in other markets) during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.497 | 0.501 |
| New-to-firm product innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has introduced a new or significantly improved product innovation (goods or services) that was only new to the enterprise during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.386 | 0.488 |
| Process innovation | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where the firm implemented new or significantly improved methods for producing goods or providing services, logistics, delivery or distribution methods, methods for information processing or communication, methods for accounting or other administrative operations during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.628 | 0.484 |
| Exploratory linkages | Count variable which takes a value of 0–10 depending on the number of co-operation partners the organisation had as part of its innovation activity from 2017–2019. Partners could include consultants, suppliers, enterprises that are competitors, enterprises within the firms’ enterprise group, other enterprises, universities or higher education institutions (HEI’s), public research institutes, customers from the public sector, customers from the private sector and nonprofit organisations | 3.135 | 3.241 |
| Exploitative linkages | Count variable which takes the value of 0–4 depending on the number of non-interactive linkages the organisation has interacted with as part of its innovation activity. Linkages could include conferences, scientific journals, industry associations and other data sources | 1.462 | 1.274 |
| Customer linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with customers from the public sector or customers from the private sector, 0 otherwise | 0.417 | 0.494 |
| Supplier or consultant linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with suppliers or consultants, 0 otherwise | 0.532 | 0.500 |
| Competitor linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with competitors or enterprises in the organisation’s own enterprise group or other enterprises, 0 otherwise | 0.396 | 0.491 |
| Public linkages | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had indicated they interacted with universities, research institutes, nonprofit or organisations or government, 0 otherwise | 0.349 | 0.478 |
| Conferences | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents indicated their attendance at conferences, trade fairs or exhibitions, 0 otherwise | 0.508 | 0.501 |
| Scientific journals | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents had consulted scientific journals or trade/technical publications, 0 otherwise | 0.422 | 0.495 |
| Industry associations | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where respondents are involved in professional associations or industry associations, 0 otherwise | 0.517 | 0.500 |
| Other data sources | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where other any other data source not previously mentioned (such as internet searches) are considered for the enterprise’s innovation, 0 otherwise | 0.015 | 0.122 |
| Employment (log) | The natural log of the number employees reported in 2019 | 2.346 | 1.953 |
| Firm age | The natural log of a continuous variable which is calculated by subtracting the year the firm was established from the current year (2021) | 2.618 | 1.103 |
| % University education | The percentage of the organisation’s employees who have obtained a third level qualification (i.e. university, college, HEI) | 68.387 | 34.297 |
| Multi-plant | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 if the organisation has more than one plant, 0 otherwise | 0.442 | 0.497 |
| Received subsidy | A binary variable which takes the value of 1 where an organisation has received public financial support for acquiring knowledge or innovation activities from one of or a combination of local government, regional government, national government and European-level government during the years 2017–2019, 0 otherwise | 0.467 | 0.501 |
| Asset owner/Operator and other type firm | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as an asset owner/operator, 0 otherwise | 0.101 | 0.301 |
| Project developer | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a project developer, 0 otherwise | 0.105 | 0.308 |
| Technology supplier | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a technology supplier, 0 otherwise | 0.351 | 0.478 |
| Service or consultancy | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is classed as a service or consultancy provider, 0 otherwise | 0.442 | 0.497 |
| UK | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in the UK, 0 otherwise | 0.512 | 0.501 |
| Ireland | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in the Republic of Ireland, 0 otherwise | 0.306 | 0.462 |
| Europe | This variable is a binary variable coded 1 if the company is based in another European country other than Ireland or the UK, 0 otherwise | 0.181 | 0.385 |
Source(s): Authors’ own work