Do serviço de metrologia ao desenvolvimento de pesquisa e inovação: uma análise do processo de acumulação de capacidades tecnológicas de um Instituto privado de pesquisa

Abstract

The theme "Innovation" is not a recent phenomenon, but it has been gaining prominence owing to the economic and social changes that have taken place in recent years. Investment in innovation makes it possible to halt the domination of the technologies that, together with the generation of higher added value products, support the economic development of a country. If one considers that from the creation of an idea until the accomplishment of an innovative product diverse stages of development may exist, observing the presence of the metrology in several of them. From this verification, it is observed the importance of institutes and private laboratories of metrology or research to provide support to the development of innovation in industry. This work aims to investigate, describe and analyze the process of accumulation of technological capacity of a private research institute or laboratory in the evolution and transition from the levels of supply of metrology services to the development of applied research and support to industry innovation, by identifying the levels of accumulation of technological capacity and the results achieved by the organization. The research strategy used was the single case study, to describe the trajectory of accumulation of technological capabilities. Senai Itaúna CETEF was selected as a case study. Inaugurated in 1966, it directed its activities to the formation of labor. In 1981, it started offering technical and technological assistance services. Since 1988, applied research services have been offered. In general, this work stands out for two important aspects in the context of innovation research: firstly, it focuses its analysis on a group of actors (metrology laboratories and private research institutes) that plays an important role in providing support to the development of innovation in industry, nevertheless, they are still poorly present in the bibliography. Secondly, it describes a set of activities and management practices that contributed to the evolution in the service offer of the Senai Itaúna Unit. This description of activities or practices of management can be an inspiration for other institutes or private laboratories of metrology or research can also evolve in their services offer.