The paper analyses the financing of the efforts of firms to innovate through partnerships with universities and research centers, which constitute an important means of fostering innovation. In the Brazilian case, the combination of the resources of federal and state agencies and the universities' infrastructure, consolidated in recent decades, acts as a link to enhance this effort. This study examines university - industry interaction in pursuit of innovation using the results of a survey carried out among universities and firms that participated in a national program called COOPERA between 2002 and 2007. This study explores several aspects of the nature of the relationship created by the COOPERA innovation promotion instrument. While progress has been made, the analysis results suggest that the program has not yet succeeded in establishing the quality and frequency of relationships that depend on the continued support of innovation efforts by Brazilian firms.
Science and technology institutions; Science and technology policy; University - industry cooperation
