University-industry collaboration and innovation in low-tech industries : the case of Brazil

Despite the importance of low-tech manufacturing sectors for national economies, previous studies on UIC benefits for the firms were conducted mostly in high-tech sectors, making the knowledge on the impact of UIC on innovation in low-tech sectors unexplored. The present research aims to identify combinations of UICs that may lead the low-tech firms to high innovation performance. By using the csQCA technique applied to secondary data from the BR Survey, which is the largest UIC databank in Brazil, the researchers identified that the most intense collaborations in terms of knowledge and resource exchange, such as development-oriented and research-oriented, are among the most beneficial for firms' innovativeness. Diffusion-oriented UIC does not contribute to innovation, unless it is combined with both research-oriented and development-oriented UICs. Finally, the csQCA suggests that in most cases the firms should focus on engaging in one specific UIC type rather than split its effort and resources among a mix of UIC. The findings amplify comprehension of the range of impacts that entrepreneurial universities promote in low-tech sector, creating both theory and policy implications.