| Summary: | Globalization of the economy and the need to achieve competitiveness drive organizations to invest in technology
and in innovation, in order to find solutions that will provide advantages in an ever-more competitive market. The
conflict between dwindling natural resources and the demand for economic growth has created a growing need to
find means for making environmental conservation compatible with economic growth. The objective of this study
is to contribute to the debate by analyzing the innovations implemented by chemical companies in the Sinos Valley
region, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and by identifying the motivations that drive them to develop environmental
technologies. The study is exploratory and descriptive, with a quantitative data collection component in the form
of a survey sent to all chemical companies in the Sinos Valley region, listed in a local business association database.
The study results indicate that development of innovations is predominantly of an incremental nature and that
novelty is generally restricted to the new-for-firm level. The environmental technologies implemented are
generally designed to prevent or remedy environmental damage and are primarily motivated by the need to comply
with environmental standards and legislation.
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