Innovation in Energy Sector - a Comparative Study in Brazil and Portugal

The energy sector is a strategic vector for the competitiveness of countries. It is consensual that this sector plays a crucial role in the context of the global economy, assuming a key factor in terms of economic growth and development. We considered important to understand how this sector can be important in countries with different stages of development and how companies from this sector lead with different threats and opportunities and develop innovation strategies to assure competitive advantages. The current study analyzes innovation in energy sector, studying the largest companies from Brazil and Portugal, focusing on different dimensions, such as investment in R&D, R&D activities and cooperation for innovation. Through a case study methodology, the study point out some differences and similarities from these two countries with different stages of development (Brazil and Portugal), considering the dimensions of innovation studied.