The Role of Commitments to Get There: A Pathway for Fostering Collaborative Technological InnovationAuthors
Keywords:
University-Industry Collaboration, Innovation, Funding Model, Evaluation, EmbrapiiAbstract
This study evaluates the outcomes of collaborative research projects for technological innovation supported by the Brazilian Company of Research and Industrial Innovation (Embrapii) model in Brazil, focusing on the results achieved for participating firms. Despite growing interest in university-industry collaboration (UIC), empirical evidence on the concrete impacts of structured incentive models remains limited, particularly in developing economies. To address this gap, this research investigated whether Embrapii's model for funding UIC effectively generates innovation, strengthens firms’ technological capabilities, and leads to broader organisational and market outcomes. The analysis is based on a study conducted with 179 companies funded by Embrapii and constitutes the first comprehensive evaluation of the model. Methods include descriptive statistics, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Input-Output Analysis. Results show that 68,2% of projects led to innovations, and 91% of firms reported positive impacts—ranging from increased product value and market access, to enhanced internal capabilities. These findings reveal significantly higher numbers when compared to the innovative performance of Brazilian industry in the national innovation survey, as well as figures higher than those found in other funding instruments addressing UIC. QCA suggests that intellectual property generation and competence building may contribute significantly to innovation within Embrapii's projects. Strong commitments from both sides of cooperation - research organisations and companies - appear to be at the core of these findings. The study provides valuable insights for Science, Technology and Innovation policy design in Brazil and other Latin American contexts.
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