A Capacidade de absorção como determinante do sucesso da interação universidade-empresa no Brasil: uma análise a partir do BR Survey

Abstract

The interaction between university and firm (IUF) is considered an important activity in the National Innovation System to favor the dissemination of knowledge and the innovative process in the firms. This study inquiry which abilities are needed for achieve their goals in these relationships. Considering that the main hypothesis was that these abilities are the Absorptive Capacities (ACs), the main objective was to analyze how the AC and its determinants affect the success of IUF in the firms perspective. For do this, an inedited theoretical link between AC and IUF was realized and led to hypothesis which were econometrically tested through an ordered probit model using dataset provided by BR Survey. In this model, AC was treated as a growing latent variable in relation to the types of success (effective failure, possible failure, possible success, effective success). The positive relation between AC and success of IUF was confirmed through a proxy for AC. Firms with high ACs can define more clearly the objectives to interact and they are more likely to achieve the success. The most important determinants to explain the success of IUF were: R&D efforts; applied science relevance; publications and reports use. These determinants are specially associated with a higher potential AC and the establishment of a knowledge base more similar to universities base. This similarity among the bases helps information exchange, learning and, hence, the IUF success. Therefore, public policy which aims to strengthen the IUF must encourage primarily the generation of firms internal capabilities in order to firms achieve their objectives in this interaction.