26th International Association for Management of Technology Conference - IAMOT 2017

The second major oil crisis made countries acutely aware of their dependence on energy derived from oil and coal, and motivated them to seek alternatives in order to mitigate the associated risks, which threatened their national development and sovereignty. Thus, several governments decided to adopt a diversified energy matrix, through the use of energy from renewable and clean sources, which contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and subsequent global warming, and to invest in sustainable development. Since 2004, the Brazilian government has encouraged the use of clean energy sources, though large scale investment in wind power only began in 2010. Of note is the fact that recent climate changes have discouraged the use of hydropower, which, though clean, has shown strong signs of exhaustion. This paper aims to contextualize the use of wind energy in Brazil; to identify the increasing value and application of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) as a factor for distinction and competitiveness; and to analyze the importance of open innovation for the development of wind farms. The methodology adopted was based on the review of secondary sources, such as bibliographic and scientific texts, and reports and programs from major institutions' websites, which presented strategic data and national projections. One result identifies that the adoption of wind energy in Brazil was responsible for supplying power to 4 million homes, generating over 70 thousand jobs, with great potential for further expansion. There was an increase in open innovation in the nation’s wind power industry, as well as the creation of a network to identify research projects that would serve to increase the sector's competitiveness. However, the lack of long-term planning, insufficient infrastructure, and low rates of investment in R&D are obstacles for the expansion and consolidation of this alternative energy source in the country. This is reflected by the still incipient efforts aimed at protecting domestic production of IPR, and the country’s low rates of knowledge and technology development, still largely dependent on foreign technology. In fact, patent applications directly linked to the sector are predominantly from foreign companies. For future research, we recommend a survey of patents filed by Brazilian companies linked to the wind energy sector, as well as a study of the economic impacts arising from open innovation. Keywords: Wind power, Intellectual Property Rights, Open Innovation.