Governance of innovation ecosystems in developing countries: a study on the Santa Catarina - Brazil context

This study analyzes the governance characteristics of the Santa Catarina innovation ecosystem in southern Brazil, focusing on the Pact for Innovation program. This program was created to enhance collaboration within the ecosystem and requires appropriate governance features. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, a documental analysis, and questionnaires applied to 41 organizations involved in the 240 actions of the program. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis and triangulation. As a result, we identified that the ecosystem’s governance contemplates a diversity of actors whose relations are guided by coordination mechanisms. Despite the existence of a central leadership, the governance approach encourages the protagonism of the actors in a decentralized way and low formality. However, program sustainability requires increased capacity to mobilize new orchestrators. This research underscores the need for empirical evidence in developing countries and offers insights for managers and policymakers committed to enhancing collaborative capacity in innovation ecosystems.