The Survey of Innovation (PINTEC) provides information for the construction of sectoral, regional and national indicators for innovative activities of Brazilian enterprises with 10 or more employed persons, having as a scope the activities carried out by Mining and Quarrying and Manufacturing Industries, as well as selected Electricity and Gas and Services.

The survey, initially called Industrial Survey for Technological Innovation - PINTEC, began in 2000, with national results for the 1998-2000 three-year period. It followed the guidelines established in the Oslo Manual, of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD, aiming at international comparability of its results. At that time, only mining and quarrying and manufacturing enterprises were investigated. The second edition, covering the 2001-2003 triennium, expanded its scope, making information available for Major Regions and for the most industrialized Federation Units. Over time, the international theoretical and methodological frameworks of the survey were maintained, with updates and improvements, which also took to changes and improvements in the survey, among which are: the redefinition of its scope, going beyond the industrial activities and adding of some selected activities of the Services enterprises (which explains its current new name); the expansion of the sample to disseminate statistics at more disaggregated sectoral levels; survey on the use of biotechnology and nanotechnology; disclosure of its results according to the National Classification of Economic Activities - CNAE 2.0; and introduction of new thematic modules, especially in its most recent edition, referring to the 2015-2017 triennium, which, in line with international trends, investigated the impacts related to the introduction of environmental innovations, the reasons for the introduction of such innovations, and how often enterprises disclose their annual sustainability reports and renewable energy production reports.

The survey investigates the factors that influence the innovative culture of enterprises, as well as strategies adopted, efforts and incentives undertaken, obstacles faced and some results of innovation. For this, the main variables are: incidence of product and/or process innovations; investments in innovative activities; financing source; characteristics of internal Research and Development (R&D) activities; purchase of R&D services; impacts of innovations; information sources used; cooperation for innovation; government support; strategic protection methods; problems and obstacles to innovation; organizational and marketing innovations implemented; use and production of biotechnologies and nanotechnologies; and environmental innovations.

The survey is carried out every three years. Its geographical scope is national, with sectoral, regional and national results for enterprises in the Mining and Quarrying and Manufacturing Industries; regional and national levels for selected sectors of Service activities; and national for Electricity and gas companies.