See an executive summary here.
One company, which designs and makes food display units, was active in five countries and said an association with New Zealand did not help when it was trying to enter large markets. Another firm, described as a young software development company, said: "They just have this perception that we might be backward or behind the times and this is just comments I get when we are overseas."
The report on the study contrasted that response with a producer of plastics for the marine industry which said New Zealand was seen "as a quality and innovative brand".
"We have been able to piggyback a little bit off that," the plastics firm said.
The report's lead author, Massey University Professor David Deakins, said while New Zealand was sometimes seen as a little bit behind the times he did not think this perception matched reality.
Deakins said this country had some world-leading companies that didn't necessary promote themselves as being from here.
If they did so, it could help change some of the negative perceptions about New Zealand and innovation mentioned in the report.
"We do have world leading companies, we don't have enough of them, but sometimes they don't promote themselves as being leading companies from New Zealand perhaps as much as they might do," Deakins said.
"It's been seen, in the past, perhaps [as] being in a company's interest not to promote [being from New Zealand] strongly, when they could fly the flag a bit more."