Steps and maturity of a bioinput for biological control: A Delphi-SWARA application

Abstract

Universities are essential for economic growth, as they generate scientific and technological innovation. For this innovation to reach society, it is necessary to encourage and improve the processes of technology transfer. In this context, this research proposes a method to identify and weigh the stages of development of a bioinput for biological control (BBC), an area in expansion with great potential for research in universities. The method uses the Delphi and SWARA methods, applied from interviews with twenty-one experts in the area. The results allow validation of the stages and their descriptions and assign weights to each. Phase 3, which consists of standardizing the production and formulation of the product, is the most important, representing 25.1% of the total. This phase also indicates that 63.5% of the process was completed, which makes the technology more attractive to companies. The study contributed to the technology transfer in the area of bioinputs by presenting a structure that can homogenize and facilitate the understanding of the development of these technologies, assisting the development of new products and the transfer of products that are in development in order to foster the relationship between academia and market, as one of the most relevant issues that the company seeks to know is the level of technological readiness so that it can measure the time, financial resources, uncertainties, and technical risks involved.