Desenvolvimento de um sistema de combustão por meio da formação de comunidades de prática entre instituições de pesquisa

Abstract

This research explores the question of identifying the elements and practices involved in a technological innovation process that highlights its complex and non-linear nature. In the context of a project aimed at developing an advanced combustion system, sponsored to address emerging demands in the automotive sector, like sustainability and use of renewable energy, the goal is to analyse, through a case study, how these elements and practices interact to foster innovation. We propose that the theory of Communities of Practice can support the investigation of the research question by helping to understand the development of innovation projects. This theory emphasizes the importance of context, informal practices, the exchange of tacit knowledge, and knowledge domains in the innovation process, aligning with the view of innovation as a complex and non-linear phenomenon. The argument is made that integrating work and learning, along with questioning established patterns, leads to new collaborative proposals and fosters innovation. Thus, this study, through qualitative and exploratory research, aims to map the development trajectory of the combustion system, considering aspects such as shared knowledge, context, learning, resources involved, eventualities, and temporality. It also seeks to identify and describe the formation of Communities of Practice throughout the innovation project development and draw an analytical parallel between these communities and their elements with the innovation process and its complexity. Through content analysis, we identified categories related to the innovation trajectory and the elements of the Community of Practice formed by federal educational institutions based on the structuring and submission of the project. This work is believed to contribute to a better understanding of Communities of Practice in science, technology, and innovation environments, stemming from collaborative projects, while also identifying elements that promote engagement, purpose, the construction of common meanings, the prediction of problems and the perception of new opportunities, based on the construction of collective memory and knowledge transfer among individuals in relationships focused on learning and innovation development.