University‐enterprise interaction in biotechnology in the south of Brazil

This article aims to analyze the interaction between university and enterprise based on the experience of two biotechnology centers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, namely the Biotechnology Center of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the Biotechnology Center of the Federal University of Pelotas. The multiple‐case method was chosen to analyze and identify university‐enterprise interaction models. A theoretical review established a typology of university‐enterprise interaction constituted by three models: classic model, market model and partnership model. Ten university‐enterprise interaction projects were classified. At the Biotechnology Center of the State of Rio Grande do Sul the five projects were mainly on the lines of the market model, whereas at the Biotechnology Center of the Federal University of Pelotas the five projects were mainly the classic model of interaction. A culture of interaction between university and enterprise must be stimulated at both centers, and actions were proposed for this purpose.