What drives eco-innovation in Brazil? The role of university–industry collaboration within a broader set of policy instruments

This study investigates the determinants of eco-innovation in Brazil, examining the relative importance of multiple drivers, including university-industry collaboration, within the broader context of innovation-stimulating policies. Using statistical regression models applied to microdata from the Brazilian Innovation Survey (PINTEC), our findings indicate that university-industry collaboration is significantly associated with eco-innovation at the firm level. Additionally, we identify regulation, market demand, and public procurement requirements as variables significantly associated with eco-innovation across various areas, including raw material substitution, renewable energy sources, pollution reduction, water and waste management, and carbon footprint reduction. Contrary to the prevailing literature, our results show that university-industry collaboration is more strongly linked to the development of product eco-innovations than to process eco-innovations.