Towards “meta-innovation” in Brazil: The evolution of the incubator and the emergence of a triple helix

A “meta-innovation system” has emerged in Brazil, comprising multiple sources of initiative: top-down, bottom-up and lateral. Meta-innovation explains why the same organizational mechanism, successful in one context, may be relatively ineffective or even a blockage to innovation in another. An incubator movement arose in the transition from the large-scale technology projects of the former military regime. The incubator was reconfigured from its original high-tech focus to a broader set of purposes by University-industry-government actors. Business and social goals were aligned in a development model that has potential for transfer to other countries.