Innovative Activities and Competitiveness in Manufacturing Industry Firms - the Results of the Primary Research

Abstract

In this paper the results of the primary research into business sphere in manufacturing industry are discussed. For our analysis we used questionnaire survey - the results of the primary research reflect firms´competitiveness and innovative activities from the managers´point of view. The article deals with the competitiveness by comparison with their competitors in the particular field. To evaluate firms´attitude to innovative activities, we choose these factors: conditions for innovative activities, types of innovative activities, financial sources and barriers to implementation of innovations as seen by firms. Our conclusions from the primary research are following: the competitive advantage of the Czech economy is based on low cost and relatively qualified labor force and energetically and input demanding production, but this advantage is just temporarily adequate; the expenditures of firms on innovative activities are low and firms still do not regard innovative activites as important for competitiveness.Typy inovací, výzkum a vývoj, bariéry zavádění inovací, primární výzkum