Analysis of the Brazilian National Innovation System in the energy sector from the perspective of Brazilian public policies

Abstract This article analyzes the Brazilian National Innovation System (NIS) from the perspective of the public policies pointed out in the Action Plan on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the energy sector within the period from 2007 to 2011, i.e. it seeks to answer this question: "Has the Brazilian national science, technology, and innovation policy for the energy sector contributed to construct a favorable environment for innovation?" The reference theoretical framework is the theory of NIS. To achieve this goal, the national and sectoral innovation system, the public policies for the sector, the players involved in the system, the actions and investments for qualifying people, and efforts on research and development (R&D) are addressed, highlighting public and private investments. This study has a qualitative nature, with an exploratory and descriptive approach that resorts to secondary data sources, such as websites, journals, scientific papers, and references, emphasizing scientific papers and government data provided by the world wide web. The findings indicated that the NIS is undergoing a consolidation phase, but there is evidence that it, along with strategic actions for the energy sector, has contributed to provide innovation with a favorable environment.