Title: National innovative capacity as determinant in sustainable development: a comparison between the BRICS and G7 countries

Authors: Naja Brandão Santana; Enzo Barberio Mariano; Flávia de Castro Camioto; Daisy Aparecida do Nascimento Rebelatto

Addresses: Production Engineering Department, University of São Paulo – USP, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense 400, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13566-590, Brazil ' Production Engineering Department, São Paulo State University, Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo C. Coube 14-01, Bauru, São Paulo, 17033-360, Brazil ' Production Engineering Department, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Av. Frei Paulino, 30, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, 38025-180, Brazil ' Production Engineering Department, University of São Paulo – USP, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense 400, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13566-590, Brazil

Abstract: In the current scenario of economic growth, technological innovation can be used as a promoter of new production alternatives that can be less damaging to nature, which can allow countries to continue to produce without this being considered a threat to society. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the efficiency of the BRICS and of the G7 countries to convert national innovative capacity into economic, environmental and social development, from 2000 to 2008. To this end, we used the window analysis and the triple index of the data envelopment analysis (DEA). This work concluded, considering the variables adopted, that the European countries, especially Italy, France, Brazil and the UK are the most efficient. However, according to the analysis, the USA, China and Russian Federation were the most inefficient.

Keywords: DEA; data envelopment analysis; sustainable development; national innovative capacity; BRICS countries; G7 countries; triple index; windows analysis; efficiency; sustainability; technological innovation; economic development; social development; environmental development; Italy; France; Brazil; UK; United Kingdom; USA; United States; China; Russian Federation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2015.071860

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2015 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.384 - 405

Received: 12 Feb 2014
Accepted: 02 Feb 2015
Published online: 21 Sep 2015 *

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