Health Innovation System: networks in Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil

Following the approach of the innovation system, the article aims to contribute to characterize the innovation process in the health area. It was analyzed interactions among actors of the health system in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The study was based on a set of secondary and primary data and is characterized as an exploratory empirical study. Primary data were collected through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Secondary data were obtained from the Directory of Research Groups of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil, and were used to build interactions networks. The analysis has shown that although the recognized presence in the local health system of a number of organizations, interactions among the various subsystems –services, teaching and research, and industrial– are rare. Among the actors who stood out as central players in the network are: a university hospital, traditional research universities and a various types and sizes of productive sector organizations.