Inovação em pequenas e médias empresas: uma análise comparativa entre Brasil e países europeus

Abstract

Small and medium-sized firms have great impact in generating employment and income, which qualifies them as capable agents of boosting economic growth and development. The constant process of technological change presents a challenge that has been faced, at least partially, by small and medium-sized firms. In response to this process, this teses has as theoretical reference to the Neoschumpeterian approach of technology and economic change, which proposes the innovative process and "creative destruction" as central to the development of economic activity. It is considered the hypothesis that there is a significant discrepancy between the results, efforts and innovative activities of small, medium and large firms in countries with different national innovation systems and production structures, such as Brazil and European Community countries. The main issue is to identify the particularities of innovating in small enterprises, as well as compare the differences in innovative efforts and results among selected countries. To that, a set of indicators are formulated from data extracted from the Pesquisa de Inovação Tecnológica (PINTEC), editions of 2008 and 2011, and the Community Innovation Survey (CIS), editions CIS6 and CIS8. The results indicate that compared to large firms, small and medium enterprises have a lower rate of innovation, concentrate their efforts and innovative spending on few innovative activities, have a great participation in process type innovations, and cooperate less and with few partners. This standard is strongly verified in Brazil and in the less advanced economies of the European Community. There is a strong presence of government support in Brazil, when compared to most of the other selected countries, with considerable improvement between the periods of analysis. These results point to the need to expand public policies aimed at reducing such discrepancies between small and large Brazilian companies.