A cooperação de pesquisa e inovação entre universidade e indústria no Brasil na perspectiva de gestores acadêmicos de pesquisa

Abstract

The current debate on the social function of the university has evolved around its entrepreneurial role, seen as a more direct and participative action, focused on social and economic development by encouraging the interaction with the industrial sector and the production and commercialization of technologies. In this regard, cooperation between universities and industry for research and innovation assumes a fundamental role, and it is the study object of this research. Despite the extensive national and international literature devoted to the topic, studies intended to map the perception of the academic research managers about the phenomenon had not been identified, which seems opportune given the strategic level at which they work and the relevance of the decisions they make. Hence, the general purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the universityindustry cooperation antecedents and the university propensity to cooperate, from the academic research managers’ perspective. Firstly, measurement scales have been developed for each determinant identified in the literature review. Then, a survey was conducted by addressing a sample with 125 academic research managers, from 109 Brazilian universities and federal institutes, in which only two Brazilian states were not represented. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the scales were validated, enabling to test an explanatory structural model for the propensity to cooperation, by using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed (i) the positive influence of the cooperation benefits – like incorporating new information to the teaching and research processes, obtaining additional funds and increasing the prestige of the researchers and their institutions – on the university propensity to cooperation with industry; (ii) the positive influence of the partnership solidity, measured by the commitment of researchers, trust in the industrial partner, and appropriate communication processes; and (iii) the negative influence of the cultural and institutional differences between university and industry on such propensity. The positive influences (iv) of reputation in research and technology transfer on the propensity to cooperation has not been validated, as well as (v) that of the fundraising for applied research. In addition, through a multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that (vi) the partnerships performance monitoring by academic managers, (vii) the trust in industry partner, and (viii) the prestige of researcher are explanatory variables for the university propensity to cooperation with industry. Considering the geographic distribution of the Brazilian academic research, the study brings up a comprehensive overview of the perception of research managers from the main higher education institutions in Brazil about the partnerships with industry, which conferred to it innovative character and allowed to propose a research agenda in the field.