The national innovation system and the enterprising action in Brazil

Abstract

The discussion on innovation is relevant when it comes to understanding the potential of entrepreneurship as a phenomenon that levers the economic development. The results of the gem research, of international extent, show that in spite of Brazil being one of the most enterprising countries, these enterprises are not much innovatory. To understand this scenery, this article’s objective is to analyze the capacity of innovation and technological development of the nascent and new enterprises in Brazil, in the period from 2001 to 2006. Initially a theoretical cut-out is done on the concept of national innovation system (NIS) in order to explain the lack of stimulation to the creation of innovatory enterprises in Brazil, based on the statistical results of recognized institutions nationally and internationally. There are three factors that explain the low innovatory potential of the new enterprises in Brazil: motivation by necessity, which creates enterprises with the function of creating new jobs and revenues; the market’s structure, characterized by competition; and the incipient national innovation system, that does not create a favorable environment to cooperation which is what makes the accumulation of competences and the technological interactive apprenticeship possible. Key words: National Innovation System, entrepreneurship, innovation.