Brazil

This chapter analyzes the efforts and policies implemented in Brazil to support innovation and facilitate interaction among universities, researchers, research organizations, and companies based on a review of literature and legislation on university–industry relations in Brazil; data on IP and related indicators in official Brazilian government reports; information gathered through questionnaires sent to eighteen Brazilian universities and research institutes; and in-depth interviews with four selected Brazilian knowledge transfer offices. The chapter reviews the key literature on knowledge transfer in Brazil and provides an overview of the role of public research organizations in the Brazilian innovation system as well as the new policies introduced to reinforce its scientific and innovative capacity. It also analyzes the institutional practices as well as the main channels for knowledge transfer in Brazil. The chapter concludes that while the major universities and research institutes in Brazil now have a knowledge transfer office to support knowledge transfer to the business sector and the Brazilian legislation has improved its management of intellectual property rights, excessive bureaucracy, limited patent licensing to companies, and lack of competition among Brazilian companies are a few reasons why university–industry interaction is not stronger in Brazil.