The knowledge generated by scientific and technological institutions are instruments of competitiveness that guarantee financial return for business. The State is responsible for regulating these relations, in order to promote and develop the interaction between entrepreneurship and innovative environments. The University of Brasilia is a model of institution of science and technology (ICT), which exemplifies the generation of products protected by intellectual property law, available for the generation of wealth in the relationship with the market. This case study analyzes this example, identifying and contextualizing the role of actors as suggested by the authors of the triple helix model. It was built using a broad theoretical analysis and, subsequently, by examining data from the University of Brasilia, to discuss the practical results exposed by the bibliography and serve as the foundation for institutional policies on the subject. The University of Brasilia presented significant results within the regional scenario. In this way, it is suggested that the good numbers are due to the operation of the system of innovation in a microenvironment. As a conclusion, it was possible to understand the functioning of the triple helix, once the system components assume role of government, through legislation, promotion and/or support to development.

Introduction

The growing technological advancement has an impact on the competitive organization of companies, once innovative enterprises are sources of wealth and driving development. Thus, the protection of the knowledge generated preserves the financial return, allowing new investments in innovation [1]. Although Brazil occupies the 13th place in the international ranking of scientific production, these numbers effectively do not represent technology and innovation [4]. The impact of Brazilian research is still below the world average, although it has grown over the past six years, according to Cross et al. (2018) [2], shown in Fig. 1. The National Library of Brazil (2017) [3] conceives the intellectual property as being “the creations of mind”. The protection is ensured through laws that guarantee the recognition and financial return to their inventors, as well as allow how the assets may be used by third parties. The World Intellectual Property Organization [4] defines intellectual property as: “The sum of the rights to literary, artistic and scientific, the interpretations of the performers and executions of artists performers, phonograms and broadcasts, the inventions in all fields of human activity, to scientific discoveries, industrial designs, trademarks industrial, commercial and services, as well as the commercial firms and trade names, the protection against unfair competition and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic heritage”.