INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES

Abstract

The study of the internationalization of organizations emerges from the interaction and exchange process between organizations of different countries. However, until now the study of this process has focused on commercial and industrial organizations. With this in mind, this study had as a main objective the desire to research the activities of the  internationalization of the technological research institutes. The research was carried out primarily through the use of qualitative methodology in the form of multiple case studies, accomplished at three technological research institutes: “Instituto Brasileiro de Tecnologia do Couro, Calçado e
Artefatos” – IBTeC (the Brasilian Technological Institute of Leather, Shoes and Manufactured Products), “Instituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento” – LACTEC (the Technological Institute for Development) and the “Instituto de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Estado de São Paulo” - IPT® (Institute of Technological Research of the State of Sao Paulo).
This study was executed by means of semi-structured interviews of both institute directors and researchers, historical document research which included among others the institutions’ marketing materials, management reports, and project reports, as well as direct nonparticipant observation made at their facilities. The study’s results suggest that the researchers at the technological research institutes are the primary conduits of  internationalization. The main targets of international performance are foreign researchers and  foreign technological research institutions. The results also suggest a variety of international activities carried out, however, these activities were identified as “low intensity” in the general context of activities developed by technological research institutes.