Technological Capacity and Innovation in Organizations of Intensive Services in Knowledge: evidences of research institutes in Information and Communication Technologies (TICs) in Brazil

Although there are several studies of innovation in the information and communication (ICT) industry, there still is a scarcity of studies on organisation-level technological capability in the ICTs sector in the context of late-industrialisation. This article examines types and levels of technological capability in a sample of 18 ICTs institutes in Brazil that are studied here as knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). The article draws on first-hand empirical evidence gathered on the basis of extensive fieldwork. The study found a variety of capabilities for specific technological functions, not only across the sampled organisations, but also within them. It also found a diversity of intra-organization learning processes and inter-organisational links with other innovation system organisations. These were examined here as key sources of technological capabilities. By applying metrics that capture nuances of types and levels of technological capabilities and their key sources, this study offers a realistic perspective on innovation in a relevant part of the ICT industry in Brazil. At least within the context of this sample, and considering the limitations of this study, the evidence here points out to a positive response from these institutes to the incentive regime that was set up during the early-1990s (the new ICT Law). Such evidence, in turn, is important to clarify and support the design and implementation of strategies to speed up innovation and strengthen the competitiveness of this industrial sector in Brazil.