Educational and Territorial Articulation for Strengthening the Innovation Ecosystem of Campo Mourão, Brazil

Abstract

This report presents good practices from the Innovation Center of Campo Mourão and the SprinT Business Incubator of UTFPR-Campo Mourão aimed at strengthening the local innovation ecosystem through the integration of technical high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate education. The actions include: (i) organizing an Ideathon on Smart Cities with technical high school students; (ii) lectures in undergraduate courses featuring case studies of final projects transformed into startups; and (iii) meetings with professional master’s students to present Campo Mourão’s innovation ecosystem. These initiatives foster connections between academic training, the productive sector, and innovation environments, resulting in greater student engagement, the emergence of new ventures, and the strengthening of entrepreneurial culture. The experience reinforces the role of incubators as articulators of collaborative networks in resilient ecosystems, aligned with the quadruple helix model and the promotion of regional development.