THE UNIVERSITY-FIRMS INTERACTION PROCESS IN A UNIVERSITY INCUBATOR: THE CASE OF THE VALE DO RIO DOS SINOS UNIVERSITY’S INCUBATOR

Abstract

The implantation of firm incubators has been established as one of the strategies adopted in Brazil for the creation of small technology-based firms. In the incubators, a process of interaction is established among the Government, the University and the firms that should benefit, either directly or indirectly, each of the three participants.  The article seeks to evaluate the impact of the incubation process on the development of the incubated firms as well as on the teaching and research projects of the university.  The research studies seven resident firms at the incubator. The data about the firms was collected by means of a questionnaire applied by one of the authors directly to each one of the entrepreneurs. To characterize the impact of the incubator at the University and at the government the data came mainly from documents. The analysis of the data reveals that the incubation process is having a positive effect on the firms, since six of the seven firms analyzed are following a path considered adequate in the sense that they are entering the market with innovative skills, solid finances, and well prepared managers. However, the effect of the incubators on the University was found to be insignificant in what is concerned with teaching, research, and extension. But the incubator brought a new image for the university and lots of space in the media. For the government the main returns, at the moment, are the creation of twenty-six new jobs, but there is the perspective of future tax and other returns.