R&D+ i Strategic Management in a Public Company in the Brazilian Electric Sector

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is - by reporting an experience of structuring processes and tools related to the strategic management of R&D in the electricity sector – to show the conditions and potential for improved efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness in the R&D program set by ANEEL. The methodology is action research. This is because the proposed and tested model is the result of reflection and resolution of critical organizational issues, applied in a public company in the electric power sector. Act No. 9,991 of July 24, 2000 provides for the obligation on the part of concessionaires, permittees, and licensees in the electric power sector to invest part of their operating revenue in research and development (R&D). For the effective implementation of these legal obligations, companies prepare their annual R&D programs, comprising projects that aim at developing innovative solutions for their processes and increasing business efficiency. However, the urgency to comply with the contractual provisions, coupled with the small amount of experience most companies have when it comes to carrying out R&D activities and projects, has led to the gradual formation of a mode of R&D implementation and management that does not favor its optimization and alignment with the goals the utility companies and the sector’s own technological development . The approach proposed in this paper consists of structuring the processes and tools related to the management of R&D driven by innovation (R&D+i) and aligned with with the business strategy. These processes include the adoption of procedures and tools to manage structured, integrated decision-making flows involved in the innovation process, aiming at full alignment with business goals and objectives.