Interactions between universities/research institutions and the Brazilian tile chain

• Grant number: 10/01993-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Scur Almudi
• Grantee: Gabriela Scur Almudi
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário FEI (UNIFEI). Campus de São Bernardo do Campo. São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project studies the interactions of scientific and technological dimensions in the Ceramic tiles chain. The objective is to analyze the relationships between universities/research institutions and firms, fundamental institutions of a national innovation system. The analysis includes regional or local innovation systems, assuming that geographical proximity matters for interactions. Theoretical references are based on national, regional or local systems of innovation approaches and on the geography of innovation approach. Innovation systems refer to institutional arrangements with several participants: firms with their R&D labs and interactive networks, universities and research institutions, teaching and training institutions, a financial system that supports innovation investments, legal systems, market and non-market selection mechanisms, governments, and coordination instruments and institutions. All participants interact, articulate and manage several mechanisms that create "virtuous cycles". The research project faces the challenge of assessing the pattern of interactions between the two kinds of institutions (universities/research institutes and firms) in a country such as Brazil with an immature innovation system. In this way, the research question is "how the Brazilian national innovation system contributes to the innovation and competitiveness of the tiles chain?" The methodology uses as starting-point available information from databases on firms, universities and research institutions from several sources, mainly CNPq - Directory of Research Groups and IBGE - PINTEC (Industrial Research on Technological Innovation). Based on such information, innovative firms will be surveyed to assess their views about universities and research institutions in São Paulo. The project comprises seven interrelated modules: (I) review of the literature on interactions between universities/research institutions and firms in Brazil; (II) mapping the university-industry interactions based on CNPq - Directory of Research Groups; (III) identification of innovative firms that do R&D continuously in Brasil; (IV) elaboration of the questionnaire; (V) field research work; (VI) analyses of the interaction cases and (VII) project conclusion. (AU)