InovTec – The social foundations of technological innovation processes: strategic decision-making under uncertainty, is a research project financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/IVC-ESCT/0073/2014), coordinated by Ana Ferreira and developed by a multidisciplinary team. This project is developed at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas – Centro Interdisciplinar de Ciências Sociais.

This project aims to evaluate the impacts of the intra- and extra-organizational contexts on technological innovation processes and to return this knowledge to the business sector. This will be first accomplished via an integration of statistical analysis of innovation indicators, with a direct and indirect characterization of companies; their social-economic contexts and the actors participating in innovation. In addition, a cooperative environment between companies, business organizations, decision-makers and scientists will be established through an active promotion of communication and discussion among these sectors.

This will result in outlining guidelines for firms’ innovation practices and for public policies fitted for deeper innovation success. While closing the gaps between companies, academia and policy decision-makers, this proposal will have a concrete impact in firms’ future performance.