A atratividade internacional dos parques científicos e tecnológicos sob a perspectiva das teorias de internacionalização

Abstract

The value of knowledge has caused companies to expand their activities beyond their borders, a movement that has been accompanied by many challenges and uncertainties. In this scenario, Science and Technology Parks (PCT) emerge as environments that can reduce these challenges and incertitudes, as they usually bring together universities, governments and the private sector in development and innovation processes. However, theories related to the internationalization of companies try to explain the reasons that lead organizations to internationalize, without considering these environments as the target of this movement. Neither are studies available on strategies to attract international companies, to be used as an instrument of analysis by the PCTs for the development of their strategic internationalization plans. Therefore, this research sought to assess to what extent the international attractiveness strategies of PCTs can be explained by the Theory of the Eclectic Paradigm and the Theory of Network. The objective of this thesis was to analyze how the Theory of the Eclectic Paradigm and the Theory of Networks are able to explain the strategic choices of PCTs associated with the Rio Grande do Sul Network of Innovation Environments (REGINP) to attract international companies. The theoretical perspective adopted was the positivist one, with a deductive method. As for the objectives, the research was classified as exploratory and descriptive, with qualitative and quantitative data analysis. As designs, we used the bibliographic research and case study, which was the main technical procedure used during the research, being classified as an integrated project of multiple cases, as the associated PCTs located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, associated with REGINP. For data collection, a semi-structured interview was used, applied with a manager of each PCT, carried out by video conference due to the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were processed in a qualitative way, using the content analysis technique. As main results, it is mentioned that PCTs were identified that have international companies from outside the country, installed in their environments. Also, it was found that managers do not have the knowledge about and do not use internationalization theories as a basis for planning strategies to attract international companies. However, evidence of actions that could be related to the two theories were identified, mainly in those environments where there were international companies, with the Theory of the Network being the one that best explains the actions evidenced by the interviewed managers. The results achieved demonstrated a great opportunity for the managers of these environments to build their strategic plans for internationalization, using the theories of Networks and the Eclectic Paradigm as a theoretical basis.