EXPERIÊNCIAS SOBRE O PROCESSO DE COOPERAÇÃO UNIVERSIDADE-EMPRESA: ESTUDO DE CASO NO INTERIOR DO PARANÁ

Abstract

The main theme of this study is the cooperation between universities and industries (U-I), specifically projects developed from U-I cooperation. This topic is beyond the scope of the line of research Innovation and Technology, part of a Graduate Program in Administration (Professional Master´s Degree) of UNICENTRO. This is on the assumption that the innovation generation can be facilitated from such projects. For this, the main objective of this study consists in analyze the process of cooperation U-I for innovation in a public institution in the countryside of Paraná, from the perspective of those involved, researchers and business representatives. The literature review has been elaborated in order to address the concepts of innovation, cooperation U-I, as well as the theoretical models used to evaluate the cooperation that allowed to raise subsidies for the development of research. Afterwards, it was realized the need to adapt models found in the literature for the proposed case, therefore, it was developed a model that is based on studies of cooperation in the literature, in order to help better understanding of the phenomenon studied. The methodology adopted was qualitative approach, and the study can be classified as being descriptive. The strategy was the case study, with primary data collection through semi-structured interviews and secondary data on the cooperation registration documents: terms of agreement; cooperation contracts; research projects of the university representatives; among other things. Interviews were conducted with three representatives with selected companies, three researcher’s teachers and one Innovation Agency Manager who was responsible for the three studied processes. The use of primary and secondary data and also the choice of three projects to interview the two participants (company and researcher) had the purpose of deepening the understanding of the subject addressed by comparative study. As results, it was possible to identify great appreciation of the application of the research, by the researchers; also, it was perceived the change in the role of the university, which in besides the creation and diffusion of knowledge, are sources of innovation process. Furthermore, the application of the proposed model has generated many significant results for this case and demonstrated the motivations and obstacle for the actors cooperate, among which relationship issues among actors, barriers and facilitators, the nature of the subject, forms of cooperation, transactional content, and interface structures of participants of the projects. Also the results of the processes for the actors and the external contributions that the projects generated. This way, it is concluded that relevant aspects of the process were included in the proposed model and its implementation gave subsidy for analyzes and the achievement of objectives. In terms of practical relevance or applicability, the results of this study will be submitted to the Manager of the Innovation Agency, and other interested members of the institution, in order to provide benefits that may improve understanding of the processes of U-I cooperation.