What is R&D Fiscal Incentives

Innovation is an important source of economic growth and a key to the competitiveness of firms, which are the main agents of innovation systems. The main objective of this chapter is to analyze entrepreneurial innovation in Extremadura (Spain), exploring, specially, the barriers that firms find and the actions (public policies) that firms demand from Government to reduce such obstacles. To do this, the authors have elaborated an ad hoc survey with some specific questions and focused on issues not covered by other Spanish or international surveys about innovation. Data were collected in 2013 from a representative sample of manufacturing and KIBS companies in Extremadura. Results show that although innovation is considered an essential source of competitiveness, there is an important unwillingness to innovate in non-innovative firms. Both innovative and non-innovative firms detect the presence of barriers to innovation highlighting the perceived lack of support from government.