Grassroots innovation nas universidades sob a ótica do pós-desenvolvimento

Abstract

At the university, scientific knowledge is produced and shared through teaching, research and extension actions. Currently, the Brazilian university also operates in the field of innovation, participating in projects aimed at the country's growth and progress. This study aims to take a new look at the university and its relationship with innovation. Under post-development, the aim is to bring the university closer to communities through Grassroots Innovation (GRI) projects. GRI is the Tecnologia Social (TS) approach present in Brazil and Latin American countries. This study is justified by placing the university under analysis, highlighting its social function and strengthening its actions around TS as an alternative to the dominant capitalist system. The study aims to analyze how GRI movements fit into innovation frameworks and in the context of Brazilian federal universities, under a post-development approach. This is qualitative research, whose data collection technique adopted was documentary research, carried out based on legislation on the subject and documents produced (texts, audios and videos) in the 69 Brazilian federal universities. The data were analyzed using the content analysis technique, in which the Maxqda software was used as support. The results of the research demonstrate that the construction of the constitutive framework of science, technology and innovation in Brazil was anchored in the development, progress and diffusion of technologies for capitalist production and for the market. However, the results also indicate that in universities it is possible to identify characteristics that allow directing science, technology and innovation to post-development: collaborative action; promotion of dignity, justice, equity, diversity and plurality; respect and encouragement of diverse knowledge, traditions and local cultures; autonomy of peoples; sustainability; and social transformation. The results show that TS is present in teaching, research, extension or innovation actions and reflects the interaction between academia and communities and the interconnection of their knowledge. Finally, the results indicate that TS, with the university as a supporting actor, is a concrete alternative for action in the field of post-development. It is hoped that this research will broaden the debate on the role of universities, contribute to showing ways to rescue the credibility of university institutions, as well as strengthen university-society interaction, taking into account social transformation and community valorization from the perspective of post-development.