O investimento externo direto chinês no setor de transmissão de energia elétrica brasileiro: uma análise sob a perspectiva da transferência internacional de tecnologia (2010-2022)

Abstract

This monograph aimed to examine the performance of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the Brazilian electrical transmission sector, with the purpose of investigating whether Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) provide channels for technological transfer in the Brazilian economy. The approach adopted in this study sought to understand the investment flows promoted by Chinese MNEs as part of a strategic policy outlined by the Chinese government. Initially, the exposition of FDI was presented as a dual-use instrument by China: 1. An instrument of economic policy; 2. A channel for technological transfer, directing the research towards the central issue: Do Chinese MNEs, through their FDI in the Brazilian electrical transmission sector, establish technology transfer channels? Considering MNEs as promoters of technological transfer agents, the analysis was conducted from a micro-perspective of international relations, allowing the identification of acquisitions, partnerships, and investments in Research and Development (R&D) carried out by these companies. This focus elucidated a cooperative process in which synergies between both countries drive the development of sectoral capabilities and technologies. The significance of this research is grounded in the contemporaneity of FDI flows originating from the Chinese economy in a sector crucial for national security and supply. As the study identifies the dynamics of cooperation for the development of capabilities in a sector that lies at the intersection of political strategy and technological transfer, it adopts an approach centered on the actions of Chinese MNEs. The research analysis period covers the timeframe in which Chinese FDIs have been recorded in the sector under scrutiny, spanning from 2010 to 2022.