Efficiency of innovation policies in brazilian industrial sectors: Suggestions for the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

This article seeks to identify sectors that are efficient in using public resources to promote increases in spending on R&D and innovation. The discus sion is based on the role of the State in promoting innovative activities for the resumption of the economy in a crisis scenario. For that, the Data Envelopment Analysis method and the Malmquist index calculation were used, with PINTEC data for the period 2009-2011 and 2012-2014 (most recent data period). The results provide an idea of the segments that may contribute to economic growth with that of government support for the resumption of industrial activity. The most efficient sectors were those whose basic inputs are obtained in abundance in Brazil. This suggests that the continuous action of the State may promote the added value of the national product and allow Brazilian businesses to reach new markets. In addition, it is an opportunity to improve Brazil s comparative advantage in the production / extraction of primary products. However, there is still a need for coordinated action between the public and private sectors to design industrial policies. This analysis is simplistic given the complexity of defining the key sectors for the resumption of growth, especially in a scenario in which a high rate of unemployment and stagnation is expected. However, it is provided a notion of how national industries responded to government incentives in the scope of innovation for future work, it is recommended to define the determinants for the growth of the industry in the crisis scenario.