An empirical analysis of technology absorption capacity of the Brazilian industry

This article presents and discusses empirical evidence on external technology
absorption facilitated by activities performed inside firms. Indicators of internal
and external learning are developed and applied in statistical causality models, to
distinguish possible ways in which technology can be absorbed. Industrial activity
sectors at the three-digit level of the National Classification of Economic Activities
(NACE) are the basic reference units of the research, which uses the information
generated by Brazil's Survey of Technological Innovation (PINTEC). The results show
that in-house research and development (R&D) is the main source of technology
absorption, followed by the knowledge generated from the "learning by doing" and
"training practices".