Actors in the Public Sector Innovation Ecosystem: A Comparative Qualitative Approach Brazil-Spain

The discussion on innovation ecosystem has been intensifying over the last 15 years and, considering that public services play an essential role for the management of innovation, an approach in which public organizations occupy a central place presents an opportunity for theoretical and empirical advancement in the theme. Using a qualitative and comparative approach, the objective of this article is to characterize the actors involved in the innovation ecosystem in the public sector. To achieve this goal, 224 awarded innovation experiences in the public sector in Brazil and Spain, from 2007 to 2018, were used as the object of content analysis. By applying three principles related to scientific rigor of research - validity, reliability and replicability - the results present a database with a longitudinal description of the phenomenon that consolidates empirical evidence that classifies the actors related to innovation ecosystems in the Brazilian and Spanish public sector. In addition, the data analyzed revealed ecosystems with an endogenous characteristic, as well as variables that translate key elements for public innovation. Furthermore, the analysis provided a repository of information conferred to managers and policy makers, who aim to increase the performance of innovation projects in the public sector.