Insights On Education – Innovation Links And Impact

This paper analyzes the characteristics of innovative enterprises in the EU in terms of education of employed personnel and its incidence on innovation output, given the key role of education in the innovation process. We use data from the Community Innovation Survey which allows the analysis of enterprises in a broader context of the objectives and strategies pursued by them. Our study identifies significant direct link between increasing the proportion of personnel with university studies employed by innovative firms and increasing turnover. The role of practices promoted by firms such as employment of qualified personnel is conducive for innovative output. These findings have important implications for policy makers and managers within the EU.