Abstract
Numerous studies have examined innovative partnerships between universities and industrial companies; however, universities are typically treated as a monolithic unit of analysis. Shifting the focus to individual academic research groups (RGs) provides a better understanding of the complexity and heterogeneity of such interactions. This article aims to analyze the interactions between Brazilian industrial firms and university research groups to understand how specific characteristics of these micro-level units influence firms' innovative outcomes. The research utilizes data from the Brazilian national census of research groups (DGP-CNPq) combined with a survey of industrial firms that collaborated with these groups. The study develops five econometric models to measure the effects of firm and research group characteristics on the dimensions of innovation performance, such as technological and business capabilities, and product and process innovation. The results indicate that research group characteristics do not directly affect a firm’s innovation performance. Instead, the presence of a robust knowledge infrastructure and involvement in R&D departments are the primary determinants of enhanced technological and business capabilities in collaborative agreements. Furthermore, while applied science is a significant predictor for product innovation, process innovation is primarily driven by the firm's own technological intensity and the university’s knowledge infrastructure. This study is among the first to provide a granular, micro-level analysis of how research group characteristics — rather than university-wide traits — shape the tangible benefits firms derive from collaboration, specifically within the context of an emerging economy.
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