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Scientific collaboration in biotechnology: the case of the northeast region in Brazil

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate scientific collaboration in biotechnology in the northeast region of Brazil. The data presented refer to the 1980–2010 period and were collected from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development platform database known as Lattes (a compilation of curricula vitae of researchers in Brazil, including a record of their scientific production) and from the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science database. Our analysis involved the use of bibliometric indicators, specifically co-authorship between or among institutions, as well as the evaluation of social networks and multivariate statistics. Overall, we verified that collaboration takes place mostly at the intra-institutional level. At intra-regional scale, we could observe the development of four clusters in relation to the collaboration dynamics, in which geographic proximity stands out as grouping factor. At the interregional level, the partnerships revolve around institutions that count with laboratory infrastructure and research tradition in the field of biotechnology. Regarding international collaboration, it remains connected to national scientific cooperation programs.

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Notes

  1. The residence of the authors and co-authors constitute the point of reference and are studied as networks of links among those who have worked in conjunction for the development and creation of knowledge.

  2. A researcher has access to the collaboration network by entering his/her name in the Lattes platform. (http://lattes.cnpq.br/) and then choosing to enter the collaboration network. This network shows the researchers who collaborated with the professor/researcher as co-authors of scientific papers.

  3. To construct MDS and cluster analysis, we followed three steps: The first consisted in turning the collaboration matrix into a similarity matrix using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The second was the construction of the Proxscal MDS model using the Euclidean distance algorithm. The third consisted in generating the dendrogram as a result of the cluster analysis (Average Linkage—Between Groups method, using the Euclidean distance algorithm). The data were processed on SPSS, version 19.

  4. Science, technology, and innovation in the northeast, specifically in the field of biotechnology, is developed within the context of the semi-arid climate. Biotechnology holds the promise of resolving major problems, as well as showing potential in terms of the effective use of the biodiversity of the region (Brasil, 2010).

  5. Launched in July of 2011, the program has the objectives of advancing science, technology, innovation, and industrial competitiveness through the expansion of international mobility; increasing the presence of student and researchers from Brazil in institutions of excellence abroad; promoting greater internationalization of Brazilian universities; increasing innovative knowledge among the workforce of Brazilian industry; and attracting young talent and highly qualified researchers to work in Brazil.

  6. Company involved in the genetic development of plants related to agribusiness. Headquartered in the city of Campinas, the company has seven technology parks, two of which are in the northeast (in the cities of Maceió and São Raimundo das Mangabeiras). Source: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/CanaVialis.

  7. Petrobrás is a consolidated energy company, with an international profile, as well as being a world leader in deep-water oil exploration. Northeast Brazil has Petrobrás refineries that produce liquefied petroleum gas, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, gasoline and naphtha.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Administration Office, Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UVA, Ceará State University of Vale do Acaraú), Av. da Universidade, 850, Sobral, CE, 62040-370, Brazil

    Benedita Marta Gomes Costa

  2. Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation), Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco E, sala 584, Brasília, DF, 70067-900, Brazil

    Edilson da Silva Pedro

  3. Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Renorbio, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte), Campus Universitário, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil

    Gorete Ribeiro de Macedo

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  1. Benedita Marta Gomes Costa
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  3. Gorete Ribeiro de Macedo
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Correspondence to Benedita Marta Gomes Costa.

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Costa, B.M.G., da Silva Pedro, E. & de Macedo, G.R. Scientific collaboration in biotechnology: the case of the northeast region in Brazil. Scientometrics 95, 571–592 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0924-1

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