Dinâmica espacial da atividade tecnológica no Brasil

Abstract

In this thesis, we analyze spatial dynamics of technology, regions' patterns of technological specialization, and diversification along the development process in Brazil. For this, three essays are built, from the theoretical-analytical approach of Evolutionary Economic Geography (EEG). The analysis is based on more than forty thousand patent applications from the Intellectual Property Statistical Database (BADEPI) of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), for the period from 2000 to 2011. In the analysis of the table regional, the geographic mesoregions of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) constitute the basic spatial unit. In this context, the first essay investigates the spatial distribution of technological activity and the characterization of its growth pattern. Therefore, we seek to propose a corresponding unique spatial typology: The sub-regional typology of the Brazilian technological standard (PTec) (High Technology, Stationary, Developed, and Low Technology) serves as a basis for characterizing the behavior, and standards, and regional technological performance in this study. The second essay investigates the transformations that occurred in the structure of regional technological specialization, as well as the evolution and performance of the Brazilian regional technological standard over the period considered. Using the PTec typology as an instrument, the change in the distance of the relative position of the regional technological pattern in relation to the historically more developed mesoregion, the Metropolitan of São Paulo, the mobility and persistence of technological specialization, followed by the presence of path dependence and cumulativeness of regional technological activity in Brazil. Lastly, the third essay uses the linear probability model for fixed effect panel data. It proposes to identify the determinants of the entry of new regional technological specializations, particularly the effect of technological relatedness density, knowledge complexity, and interregional technology connection in Brazil. Our main results show: (i) high concentration of inventive activity in the High Technology sub-region; (ii) spreading of technological production towards the Developed sub-region; (iii) emptying of inventive activity and technological specialization in the Low Tech sub-region; (iv) stagnation of inventive efforts in the Stagnated sub-region; (v) predominance of mobility of regional technological specialization in the face of persistence; (vi) positive association of path dependence on regional technological specialization; in particular in the Developed and Stationary sub-regions; (vii) cumulative decline in regional technological activity; (viii) finally, knowledge complexity and inter-regional connection of technology may be relevant in the construction of new regional technological specializations in Brazil, regarding the size of the technology and regional economic growth, especially in the High Tech and Stationary sub-regions. On the other hand, the technological relatedness density may limit the entry of new regional technological advantages in Brazil, a result that differs from the main regions inherent to developed economies. With this in mind, our evidence expands discussions about spatial dynamics and regional technological updating in a country far from the technological frontier and corroborates (and differs from) previous studies.