The National Innovation System (NIS) of Brazil leads in several indicators related to efforts and performance in science, technology, and innovation in Latin America. However, it still holds a modest, albeit growing, position in the global scenario. One of the biggest challenges to enhance Brazilian scientific and technological development is undoubtedly to increase the interaction among the system's actors, both public and private, with particular emphasis on the relationship between universities/science institutes and the private sector.
In order to support the construction of models, tools, and practices for other players, the Innovation Management and Networks team at Natura developed a paper to discuss the company's collaborative innovation network model, “Collaborative Networks and sustainable business: a case study in the Brazilian System of Innovation,” authored by Pollyana Varrichio, Daniela Diogenes, Adriano Jorge, and Leonardo Garnica. The article describes, in light of the reality of the Brazilian NIS and the innovation network management practices of other companies worldwide, Natura's experience in building its collaborative networks focused on innovation. This model is based on 4 main pillars:
a) innovation policies and processes, designed internally to align the company's innovation strategy with the current regulatory framework on issues such as intellectual property and safety;
b) management and funding acquisition, concerning the interaction and financing mechanisms with government agencies;
c) promotion of collaborative open innovation networks, with a focus on the design and restructuring of the Natura Campus Program;
d) relationship management, focusing on innovation partners, including suppliers as well.
The article was presented at the Triple Helix Conference 2012 - Emerging Triple Helix Models for Developing Countries: From Conceptualization to Implementation - which took place in Bandung, Indonesia, in August. This conference is held annually by the Triple Helix Association, an institution dedicated to promoting studies and analyses on the interaction between universities, businesses, and government, being recognized as important in the field. As a result of the presentation at the conference, the article was published in the journal Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, volume 52, special edition on the Conference. The article can be accessed in full at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812039006.
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