ABSORPTION CAPACITY AND CHANNELS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND FIRM: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS FOR FIRMS IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Abstract

The main of this paper is to analyze the interaction between firms’ absorptive capacity (AC) dimensions, the channels for information and knowledge exchange with university and the firms’ innovations results. From information collected in firms located in Rio Grande do Sul that interacted with universities and the use of Categorical Principal Component’s method to analyze the data it was possible to measure the dimensions of AC and relate them to the channels used by firms. It was found that: (1) companies that interact via consulting have higher capacities of assimilation; (2) firms that interact via joint research have greater acquisition and exploitation capabilities; (3) firms that interact by "entrepreneurial University" channels do not have different AC. We also found that firms who innovate in product and process have greater capacity to assimilate, transform and explore external knowledge.