Interactions Between Firms and Universities in Brazil: A Historical Perspective

Presented at the GLOBELICS 6th International Conference 2008 22-24 September, Mexico City, Mexico.The interaction between firms and universities in Brazil is very weak. Successful "points of interaction" between science and technology are scarce and localized. This paper investigates the historical roots of this pattern of interaction. The hypothesis of this paper suggests that this pattern of interaction could be explained by the combination between, first, the late beginning of the formation of universities and research institutes (circa 1808) and, second, the historical backwardness of industrialization in Brazil. Furthermore, the successful points of interaction are products of long term processes of institutional building and systematic and persistent long term investments