Innovative Capacity of Incubated Companies in Brazilian Technology-Based Business Incubators

Abstract

TBCs are ventures formed by entrepreneurs whose core is technical knowledge and which are sometimes accompanied by business incubators. It is estimated that the earnings of TBCs incubated in Brazil are more than R$550 million and that they generate around 14 thousand jobs. Thus, given the importance of TBCs for a country's social and economic development, this research is justified, which aims to measure the innovative capacity of TBCs linked to incubators of Brazilian technology-based companies. The chosen methodology was descriptive research, of quantitative nature, whose data collection technique uses the Innovation Radar questionnaire. The sample of this study had the participation of 62 incubated in the incubation stage in 22 incubators located in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Distrito Federal. Among other results, the study showed that, in a sectorial analysis, mining companies in the service sector are not very innovative and the other occasional innovators, as well as that the industries of Mato Grosso do Sul are not very innovative and the other occasional innovators. Finally, in comparison, all TBCs that participated in the research are occasional innovators, that is, in general, the entire sample was characterized as an occasional innovator.