Parque tecnológico de Santa Maria - RS : do sonho à (dura) realidade.

Abstract

This research analyzes the expectations deposited in the Technological Park of Santa Maria (SM Tecnoparque) as an alternative to the development of the technology and innovation sector of the municipality. Located in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Maria is a university campus. Seven institutions form the network of Higher Education that makes the city a national reference in the export of skilled labor - it is the third one that most sends professionals to other cities of the Country, behind only São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The technological complex was conceived in the 1980s, but was only inaugurated in 2013, with the purpose of encouraging the entrepreneurial culture among the thousands of professionals trained each year in the technical and higher level courses of the municipality. Even with all its solid educational structure and high technology research in such complex areas as space, the municipality has no entrepreneurial profile. The industrial sector is incipient, contributing only 11.8% of municipal GDP and the largest share of local income comes from the services sector, which contributes with 75.69% of GDP, mainly due to the presence of the public service. The municipality concentrates the second largest military contingent in the country, with units of the Army and Air Force. In addition, it is the headquarters of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), which gathers an academic population of more than 30,000 people and functions as a city within Santa Maria, with an annual budget higher than that of the Municipality itself. This research proposes to show that the greatest challenge of SM Tecnoparque is to promote a cultural change in this environment heavily dominated by commerce and the provision of services. The venture wants to encourage the emergence of small technology and innovation companies, offering the city a new source of income, job opportunity and quality of life. This change, however, is not easy. There are mishaps along the way, which will be shown throughout this research. This study shows how the management of SM Tecnoparque works, its relationship with local universities and brings some perspectives focused on the eyes of local entrepreneurs themselves.