Programas de subvenção às atividades de PDI: uma comparação em biocombustíveis no Brasil, EUA e Europa

Direct public support for research and development projects performed within firms is one of the policy instruments available. These instruments, commonly known by grants, require ability of government to specify the thematic focus of support as well as to select projects of interest and follow them. The effectiveness of public programs of this nature depends on how the public institutions responsible for resource management execute their choices, which is a reflection of the internal processes that take place in these organizations. This article proposes an analytical framework focused on the main processes of formulation, project selection and monitoring. Then, it describes three recent cases: Biomass Program in U.S., PAISS in Brazil, and NER300 in the European Community. It appears that the effect of triggering technological races is associated with a greater commitment to technological and engineering content from the government side.