Redes de cooperação para desenvolvimento tecnológico no setor de biotecnologia

Abstract

The balance between economic development and the preservation of nature has been a challenge for humanity and biotechnology has played a fundamental role in this process. As it is a field in which scientific knowledge is multidisciplinary, the development of innovations takes place in collaboration among companies, universities, and research institutes. The main objective of this research is, therefore, to identify and evaluate the bibliographic and patent factors that contribute to the development of technological cooperation networks (TCN) in the biotechnology industry. In order to achieve this objective and produce such contributions, the scientific foundations of bibliometrics and scientometrics were adopted, subdivided into three interdependent studies. As an integrating result of this thesis, it was possible to highlight the importance of TCN for the biotechnology industry, with companies, universities, and research institutes as leading players for these cooperative relations. This thesis presents its methodological novelty structured in a bibliometric research with factor analysis, social networks analysis and mutual strength of the cooperation relationship (Salton’s measure), as well as the mapping of TCNs using patents in co-ownership of IPC C12N 15/82, regarding vegetable agribusiness, as a proxy for cooperation – among companies, universities and research institutes. Results presented in Study 1 revealed new theoretical contributions on the conceptual factors determining the development of TCN in the biotechnology industry, namely: (factor 1) the role of biotechnology company in articulating the knowledge, innovations and technologies produced and disseminated in cooperation networks; (factor 2) the patent as an important technological factor, as it represents a valuable resource that brings together and highlights knowledge, innovations and technological routes; and (factor 3) research conceived as a networked activity that promotes the intersection between science produced in universities and technologies conceived in companies. Study 2 also revealed unprecedented theoretical contributions on conceptual factors determining the development of TCN in the biotechnology industry, namely: the mapping of global scientific production has shown that there has been an advance in publications since the 2000s, and countries like China and Taiwan are taking part in this field now. The United States lead the ranking of publications and citations, have the largest prevalence and are considered a hub in the international context. It was observed that removing the United States from the network could disrupt the entire cooperation system. On the other hand, its relationship strength (Salton’s measure) is low, showing dispersion in its publications and little dependence on other countries. Finally, the results presented in Study 3 revealed unprecedented theoretical and practical contributions on technological application (patent factors) determining the development of TCN in the biotechnology sector with the help of IPC C12N 15/82 namely: the network formed by IPC C12N 15/82 is dispersed and peripheral. It was possible to identify five predominant clusters, and a feature was found that few assignees – within clusters – have strong dyadic ties dominating the development of this technology. Companies with global operations and research institutes considered centers of excellence in their countries of origin actively participate in this network. These results are deemed helpful to researchers, companies and universities in making strategic decisions for structuring potential partnerships in the development of new technologies, prioritizing investments, as well as contributing to the formulation of public policies to the biotechnology industry.