Nanotechnology, the scientific study of manipulating matter on an atomic scale (1 to 100 nanometers) that provides new properties in materials and devices had received considerable research attention and public funding support during the last decade in the US. This emerging technology promises to improve the competitiveness of most of the US industrial sectors. Malerba (2004) an innovation system researcher has developed the theoretical framework "Sectoral System of Innovation (SSI)" to study the process by which new technologies and knowledge are produced and transferred to industrial sectors, where actors interact based on an institutional framework to generate innovation processes. In this dissertation I studied the agriculture and food processing sector, which is a key sector of the US economy that has provided with enough food for the US population, but in an unsustainable way that has harmed the environment, natural resources and human health. The US agrifood sector is facing new challenges of increasing food demand, which need to be addressed in a more sustainable way that takes consideration on economic, environment, and social aspects. The main questions that this dissertation research focuses on studying how much attention the public nanotechnology agrifood research agenda has paid to sustainability issues during the last decade in the US and what role has played the system's actors in influencing this research agenda. The analysis of the policy process in which system's actors try to influence the research agenda is framed in the Advocacy Coalition Framework (Sabatier 1993) that complemented the Sectoral System of Innovation approach in studying the formation of advocacy groups to achieve their coalition's policy goals. Three data sources were utilized to achieve my research goals, the CNS-ASU nanotechnology publications dataset 2000-2010(Porter A, Youtie J et al. 2007; De Bellis 2009)which was used to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the agrifood nanotechnology research publications in the US, semi-structured interviews with key actors and their interaction in advocacy coalition groups, and a literature review of several official documents and public hearing with respect to the US nanotechnology system to evaluate the influence of advocacy groups in the policy process. Utilizing Vantage point data mining and Nvivo qualitative analysis software I conducted the data analysis of my research. The results show increasing research attention toward environmental research and food safety issues that can indirectly impact positively on sustainability development, as well as increasing research attention in studying environmental, health and safety issues (EHS) that can reduce potential risks. The analysis of actors' interaction to influence the policy process, two advocacy coalitions was identified. On one side, a coalition that advocate for more research funding oriented to applied research to achieve the potential that this coalition members believe this technology has to revolutionize the way food is produced giving more competitiveness to the US agrifood sector, this coalition is composed by researchers, federal agency managers and industry representatives. On the other side, a rival coalition that raise concerns respect to potential risks associated to this technology that required to be addressed by the public research agenda. This coalition mainly composed by environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other social actors claim for a regulatory framework that guarantee a nanotechnology development environmental friendly that benefit the society. The influence of these two coalitions have succeed in allocating more federal funding resources to research nanotechnology in the agrifood sector, with particular emphasis in EHS research that show the right path to a sustainable development that guarantee enough resources for the future generations.

Esta tese analisa as características e as condições do desenvolvimento industrial e tecnológico do setor de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil. O trabalho parte do pressuposto de que há uma relação entre trajetória tecnológica, regime tecnológico e desenvolvimento econômico e considera que o arcabouço sobre Sistema Setorial de Inovação pode trazer importantes contribuições para o desenvolvimento tecnológico entre os setores industriais. A revisão teórica da tese aplicou a discussão sobre trajetória tecnológica, regime tecnológico e Sistema Setorial de Inovação ao caso do setor de máquinas-ferramenta mundial, destacando as características do desenvolvimento das tecnologias do setor na Inglaterra, EUA e Japão. A metodologia de pesquisa abrangeu uma análise sobre o setor de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil. Esta análise considerou as características do desempenho industrial e tecnológico e as interações realizadas entre empresas de máquinas-ferramenta e grupos de pesquisa sediados no Estado de São Paulo. A partir da análise empírica e setorial, a tese constatou que o regime tecnológico do setor de máquinas-ferramenta do Brasil apresenta características distintas, relativamente ao setor de máquinas-ferramenta dos países analisados na revisão teórica. O Sistema Setorial de Inovação de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil também apresenta algumas diferenças em relação ao Sistema Setorial de máquinas-ferramenta da Alemanha, Japão, EUA e Itália. A conclusão é que a escolha das empresas por trajetórias tecnológicas no passado pode repercutir um ambiente tecnológico distinto para um mesmo setor através dos países. Considera-se que as características do ambiente tecnológico de cada setor podem apresentar alguns efeitos positivos para a sua competitividade. Entretanto, no longo prazo, a dinâmica industrial e tecnológica do setor de máquinas-ferramenta nacional pode ser afetada pela escolha entre trajetórias tecnológicas. / This thesis analyzes the characteristics and conditions of the industrial and technological development of the machine tools industry in Brazil. The work assumes that there is a relationship between technological trajectory, technological regime and economic development and considers the framework of the Sectoral System of Innovation can make important contributions to technological development among industries. A theoretical review of the thesis applied the discussion on technological trajectory, technological regime and Sectoral System of Innovation in the case of machine tools industry, highlighting the features of the technology development sector in England, USA and Japan. The research methodology includes an analysis of the machine tools industry in Brazil. This analysis considered the performance characteristics of industrial and technological interactions between companies of machine tools and research groups based in São Paulo. From the empirical analysis and sector, the thesis found that the technological regime of the machine tools industry in Brazil has distinct characteristics to the machine tools industry of the countries analyzed in the theoretical review. The machine tools Sectoral System of Innovation in Brazil also have some differences from the System Sector machine tools from Germany, Japan, USA and Italy. The conclusion is that the choice of enterprises by technological trajectories in the past can influence a distinct technological environment for the same sector across countries. It is considered that the characteristics of the technological environment of each sector may have some positive effects on their competitiveness. However, in the long term, the dynamic industrial and technological sector of machine tools can be affected by national choice between technological trajectories.

Esta tese analisa as características e as condições do desenvolvimento industrial e tecnológico do setor de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil. O trabalho parte do pressuposto de que há uma relação entre trajetória tecnológica, regime tecnológico e desenvolvimento econômico e considera que o arcabouço sobre Sistema Setorial de Inovação pode trazer importantes contribuições para o desenvolvimento tecnológico entre os setores industriais. A revisão teórica da tese aplicou a discussão sobre trajetória tecnológica, regime tecnológico e Sistema Setorial de Inovação ao caso do setor de máquinas-ferramenta mundial, destacando as características do desenvolvimento das tecnologias do setor na Inglaterra, EUA e Japão. A metodologia de pesquisa abrangeu uma análise sobre o setor de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil. Esta análise considerou as características do desempenho industrial e tecnológico e as interações realizadas entre empresas de máquinas-ferramenta e grupos de pesquisa sediados no Estado de São Paulo. A partir da análise empírica e setorial, a tese constatou que o regime tecnológico do setor de máquinas-ferramenta do Brasil apresenta características distintas, relativamente ao setor de máquinas-ferramenta dos países analisados na revisão teórica. O Sistema Setorial de Inovação de máquinas-ferramenta no Brasil também apresenta algumas diferenças em relação ao Sistema Setorial de máquinas-ferramenta da Alemanha, Japão, EUA e Itália. A conclusão é que a escolha das empresas por trajetórias tecnológicas no passado pode repercutir um ambiente tecnológico distinto para um mesmo setor através dos países. Considera-se que as características do ambiente tecnológico de cada setor podem apresentar alguns efeitos positivos para a sua competitividade. Entretanto, no longo prazo, a dinâmica industrial e tecnológica do setor de máquinas-ferramenta nacional pode ser afetada pela escolha entre trajetórias tecnológicas. / This thesis analyzes the characteristics and conditions of the industrial and technological development of the machine tools industry in Brazil. The work assumes that there is a relationship between technological trajectory, technological regime and economic development and considers the framework of the Sectoral System of Innovation can make important contributions to technological development among industries. A theoretical review of the thesis applied the discussion on technological trajectory, technological regime and Sectoral System of Innovation in the case of machine tools industry, highlighting the features of the technology development sector in England, USA and Japan. The research methodology includes an analysis of the machine tools industry in Brazil. This analysis considered the performance characteristics of industrial and technological interactions between companies of machine tools and research groups based in São Paulo. From the empirical analysis and sector, the thesis found that the technological regime of the machine tools industry in Brazil has distinct characteristics to the machine tools industry of the countries analyzed in the theoretical review. The machine tools Sectoral System of Innovation in Brazil also have some differences from the System Sector machine tools from Germany, Japan, USA and Italy. The conclusion is that the choice of enterprises by technological trajectories in the past can influence a distinct technological environment for the same sector across countries. It is considered that the characteristics of the technological environment of each sector may have some positive effects on their competitiveness. However, in the long term, the dynamic industrial and technological sector of machine tools can be affected by national choice between technological trajectories.