Contribuição das unidades de inovação no desenvolvimento das universidades públicas brasileiras

Abstract

Innovation is a relevant topic for carrying out studies and research due to the potential to contribute to the diffusion of new technologies, the improvement of processes and the advancement in the development of new products and businesses. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the contribution of innovation units in the development of Brazilian public universities. Innovation units and public universities are important actors in the innovation ecosystem. The research was developed in two stages: one qualitative and the other quantitative. The qualitative stage aimed to identify the managers' perception of how the innovation units studied contribute to the development of Brazilian public universities. Structured interviews were carried out with 14 managers from 7 innovation units. The quantitative stage aimed to develop and validate a scale to assess the contributions of innovation units in the development of public universities. The results of the qualitative study made it possible to identify roles linked to 9 dimensions of university products, 2 of which emerged from this study and characterize one of the conceptual innovations of the thesis. Based on the findings of the qualitative stage and the analysis of the literature, the descriptors were categorized for the construction of the scale, which was submitted to the expert assessment process. Then, a survey was carried out with 212 members of innovation units linked to Brazilian public universities. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) enabled the validation of the scale with 26 descriptors that integrate 4 constructs: Scientific and Technological Education (8 descriptors); Protection and Dissemination of Intellectual Property (5 descriptors); Control and Evaluation of Technological Innovation (5 descriptors); and finally, Development and Promotion of Sociocultural Innovation (8 descriptors). The findings elevate the innovation units of public universities to the status of essential actors in the technological, scientific and Brazilian innovation development. One of the contributions of the study involves the development of an unprecedented scale for Analysis of the Contribution of Innovation Units to the Development of Universities. Other contributions involve the promotion of strategic decision-making processes in relation to the performance of universities and innovation units; the development of public policies to encourage research and innovation and; development of courses and training aimed at the agents that integrate the innovation units. It is expected that this thesis will support studies that show the contribution of innovation in the scientific, technological, cultural and social development of the country, as well as in the development of strategies to enhance the performance of innovation units in this scenario. Finally, the thesis encourages the implementation of new innovation units, subsidizes the structuring of their scope of action and values the performance of innovation units as strategic agents that help universities to fulfill their mission and institutional objectives.