Trends in the organization of public research organizations: lessons from the Brazilian case

This paper analyzes trends in the evolution of public research organizations (PROs) with special emphasis on the Brazilian case. Given the central role in global competitiveness played by policies of fostering innovation, PROs are increasingly stimulated to restructure themselves in order to participate in the innovation process. This is a global phenomenon but its specific characteristics differ between countries. The formats and contents of PROs in Brazil have changed significantly in the last 15 years. Three main trajectories can be identified for Brazilian institutions: path finders (those that have adapted their original paths to the innovation perspective), path founders (those that have had to construct new paths), and path losers (those that have lost their original paths and have not found another).