Collaborative Environments in RD&I Institutions of the Brazilian Agricultural Sector

Research, development and technological innovation (RD&I) companies promote inter- and intra-organizational interactions based on the formation of research nets. This arrangement prioritizes the use of competencies of both people and institutions, stimulating the generation of new knowledge and competencies, and consequently technological innovation. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation – Embrapa, responsible for knowledge generation and technological innovation in the Brazilian agricultural sector, has put a lot of effort into the establishment of a collaborative environment which allows the exchange of information, knowledge and experience among researchers and promote new knowledge, competencies and technological innovation. The present paper discusses conceptual bases and presents a model of collaborative environment established by the above-mentioned corporation in order to favor the learning and the production of innovative solutions in agricultural research nets.