Innovation as a factor of regional development [A inovação como fator de desenvolvimento regional]

Abstract

This article has sought to demonstrate how the understanding about innovation is and what the several authors have proposed to this topic, passing a bit by the classical literature which addresses the issue and also as the contemporary researchers have addressed this issue. In addition, it has sought to clarify how Brazil has sought to stimulate the innovation, especially after the promulgation of the Law of Innovation and the Law of Well. At last, it has treated also a little about regional development and the innovation issues, in other words, how this can contribute to reduce the incoherence of the growth and regional development in the country. Although this is an old subject, where several recognized economists as Schumpeter, Kuznets, Say, Mandel, among others, have addressed regarding. The Innovation in Brazil only began to be treated with the attention it deserves in the last two decades, and still with reservations, the scientific research involving innovation and regional development together begins to appear in the circuit scientific, attracting interest from governments and business organizations. For these organizations further once the innovation is a major factor of permanence and market growth. For governments, innovation becomes the mainspring of economic stability, since, being the most competitive country from innovations, certainly will open markets and foreign exchange inflows it will help the country to equilibrate the bills and, therefore, it will have more resources to invest in the regions, especially in the backward regions, allowing to have a more uniform growth, through opportunities for competitive advantages arising from the emergence of innovations produced and/or induced in each region. © 2014, Revista Brasileira de Gestao e Desenvolvimento Regional. All rights reserved.