Investigating the factors driving bidirectional relationships between universities and public research institutes, and Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract

Objective of the study: to investigate the drivers of the bidirectional relationships (that is, “scientific research with considerations of immediate use of results” and “scientific research without considerations of immediate use of results”) established between research groups and the small and medium-sized Brazilian enterprises (SMEs). Methodology/approach: estimation of four logistic regression models to investigate the drivers of the bidirectional relationships between research groups from the Directory of Research Groups in Brazil of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development and 1819 enterprises with up to 499 employees. Main results: the economic sector and the access to public funding are able to influence the establishment of the bidirectional relationships between research groups and SMEs. Some specificities of the drivers of the bidirectional relationships are identified in different size ranges of SMEs. Theoretical/methodological contributions: adoption of a comprehensive database on collaboration between research groups and SMEs, based on informations from the Directory of Research Groups and the Annual Report of Social Information, and an approach to a theme that is insufficiently adressed in the literature. Relevance/originality: the assessment of how different categories of drivers influence the establishment of the bidirectional relationships between research groups and SMEs and the characterization of the drivers of these relationships in different size ranges of interactive enterprises. Social/Management Contributions: Innovation policy should address the factors that drive knowledge-related cooperation between public research organizations and SMEs.

Keywords

• small and medium-sized enterprises
• bidirectional relationships
• modes or channels of interaction
• university-industry interaction