A contribuição das organizações intermediárias de transição para a Inovação transformadora: estudo de caso da rota dos butiazais

Abstract

The central problem of this dissertation is the search for ways to accelerate sociotechnical transitions, through the roles, functions and activities of the organizations involved in the context of sustainable projects. The object of study is the Rota dos Butiazais, a project in the rural context, focused on sustainability perspectives, whose strategy is based on the idea of conservation through the use of butiazais. Based on theories on niche management, transition intermediaries and key functions of innovation systems, a theoretical framework is proposed to identify the research questions: 1) What types of organizations are acting in the intermediation process? 2) What activities and functions are these organizations performing? 3) At what levels of the sociotechnical system do the transition intermediaries of the Sociotechnical Niche of the Rota dos Butiazais act? 4) Are these organizations recognized by the participants of the Rota dos Butiazais network? The methodology used was: semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation and document analysis for data collection, qualitative method, case study, deductive/inductive approach and the Snow Ball technique for selecting research participants. A survey of organizations involved in the Rota dos Butiazais combines eleven types of participating organizations at different levels of intermediation. The study confirmed the presence and relevance of innovation systems functions for the development of the Rota dos Butiazais. However, some key functions and levels of intermediation brought in the theoretical analysis proposal were not identified in practice. The survey also revealed that in the context of roles and activities, Embrapa temperate climate, as the leader of the network, is more recognized, while other organizations have little visibility, highlighting a centralization in the initiatives and proposals of intermediation activities.