A influência das práticas empreendedoras de uma universidade na formação de ecossistemas de inovação : um estudo à luz da teoria do trabalho institucional

Abstract

Innovation-related phenomena are the main tools for economic and social development (ISENBERG; ONYEMAH, 2016; NICOTRA et al., 2017), bringing to the center of the debate between scholars and projects how the dynamics of people and organizations can be developed aiming to generate a competitive and enterprising scenario. These structures are recognized as innovation ecosystems and are characterized by innovative activities that depend on the link between companies and local units, such as research institutes, technology transfer centers, among others (AUTIO; THOMAS, 2014). In this context, as universities undergo a process of great influence and facilitator on the process of creation and development of innovation ecosystems (FOSS; GIBSON, 2015). In order to understand the phenomenon, in the light of the institutional work theory (LAWRENCE; SUDABY, 2006), the centrality of the actor and his practices of new institutional skills is reinforced. Therefore, we present the entrepreneurial skills of a university, aiming intelligences and influencing the formation of an Innovation Ecosystem. The research was carried out in a qualitative process page, where a research was conducted at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), highlighting a new approach focused on innovation and connectivity with the market, a novelty in the formation of a new concept of innovation. Consequently, the addressing process for the main pillars are: (1) the dual role of the university in the process, such as the focal point and articulator of customer service practices and ecosystem support as transforming internally; (2) the importance of collaborative practices and reverberation in materiality in the higher education process, emphasizing the establishment of university companies, the development of research aimed the market demand and the construction of new ventures on campus; and (3) the predominance of relational institutional work as the main way to use the transformation of the environment and the reflexivity of the university in seeking the new context. The results revealed new researches and discussions about the different forms of configuration of spaces of innovation and entrepreneurship from collaborative practices.