Aprendizados em ambientes de inovação internacionais comparados a realidade brasileira

Abstract

Innovation-promoting environments play a strategic role in the effectiveness of public policies for science, technology, and innovation, particularly in emerging economies such as Brazil. Despite the existence of a consolidated legal and institutional framework, significant challenges persist in the local operationalization of these policies, reflected in the low attractiveness of innovation programs, limited integration among actors, and difficulties in generating measurable economic and social impacts. In this context, this study aims to identify recurring effectiveness factors in internationally consolidated innovation environments and based on these lessons, to develop a Best Practices Guide to support the management of local innovation environments in the Brazilian context. The study is grounded in the understanding of innovation as a systemic, relational, and territorially embedded phenomenon, drawing on the theoretical foundations of innovation systems, open innovation, network governance, and the ecosystem approach. Methodologically, this is an applied qualitative study with an interpretive perspective, structured as an international comparative multiple-case analysis. The empirical base comprises immersive field observations, informal exploratory interviews, and document analysis conducted in innovation environments across six countries—United States, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, and Portugal—selected according to the 2024 Global Innovation Index. Data were systematized, categorized, and analyzed using Inductive Thematic Analysis, enabling the identification of both analytical and emergent constructs associated with ecosystem effectiveness. The findings indicate that the effectiveness of innovation environments depends less on the isolated existence of instruments, infrastructure, or financial resources and more on systemic organization, strategic clarity, functional operational governance, consistent integration with firms, the adoption of hybrid funding models, the strengthening of legitimized leadership, and the construction of trust-based relationships and continuous learning processes. As its main practical contribution, the study proposes a Best Practices Guide structured into sequential and adaptive stages, designed to reduce the gap between innovation policy design and local-level implementation. Rather than adopting a prescriptive or universalizing approach, the guide serves as a flexible, action-oriented framework to support public and institutional managers in decision-making and in navigating complex and dynamic innovation environments.