Scientific production and technological innovation growth in Brazil are not homogeneous in its different regions despite its public policies. The same phenomenon can be observed within the states of the Brazilian Federation. This article examines the diffusion of scientific expertise in six public institutions of science and technology in the state of Bahia between 2004 and 2008. The state is the largest in the north-east of Brazil, an area marked by a semi-arid climate and a low human development index; however, it has a large chemical and petrochemical complex. This article, focusing on the scientific field of chemistry, is based on foundations of innovation and knowledge management, as well as social network analysis, aiming to examine relations between scientific production and institutional, structural and relational characteristics of inter- and intra-institutional scientific knowledge networks. The results show that public policies on science, technology and innovation regarding the peripheral regions need to be rethought.

O propósito deste artigo é lançar luz sobre a dinâmica das redes de conhecimento, nos países em desenvolvimento, por meio da análise da produção científica da maior universidade do Nordeste do Brasil (UFBA) e sua influência sobre algumas instituições regionais de pesquisa no estado da Bahia. Através de um teste de metodologia, as produções científicas, especificamente no campo da química, da Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (Uneb) e da Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (Uesc) foram minuciosamente analisadas e cruzadas. Por meio da análise de redes sociais investigou-se a existência de pequenos fenômenos do mundo e a importância destes fenômenos na realização da pesquisa nas três universidades. Os resultados obtidos com a pesquisa elucidaram dados de grande interesse sobre a produção científica nessas universidades e comprovaram a importante participação da rede UFBA e das outras duas instituições públicas de pesquisa, bem como a importância dos pesquisadores na consolidação de redes. Este artigo também sugere que a metodologia pode ser adequada à medida que a produção científica seja utilizada como um substituto para o conhecimento científico.

This paper aims to cast some light on the dynamics of knowledge networks in developing countries by analyzing the scientific production of the largest university in the Northeast of Brazil and its influence on some of the remaining regional research institutions in the state of Bahia. Using a methodology test to be employed in a larger project, the Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) (Federal University of Bahia), the Universidade do Estado da Bahia (Uneb) (State of Bahia University) and the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (Uesc)'s (Santa Cruz State University) scientific productions are discussed in one of their most traditionally expressive sectors in academic production - namely, the field of chemistry, using social network analysis of co-authorship networks to investigate the existence of small world phenomena and the importance of these phenomena in research performance in these three universities. The results already obtained through this research bring to light data of considerable interest concerning the scientific production in unconsolidated research universities. It shows the important participation of the UFBA network in the composition of the other two public universities research networks, indicating a possible occurrence of small world phenomena in the UFBA and Uesc networks, as well as the importance of individual researchers in consolidating research networks in peripheral universities. The article also hints that the methodology employed appears to be adequate insofar as scientific production may be used as a proxy for scientific knowledge.