EVALUATION OF INNOVATIVE CAPACITY IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGIES IN THE BRAZILIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Abstract

The textile industry has sought to innovate in its products and processes, such as the use of biotechnology, among them, enzymatic treatment, biological treatment and other treatments (for example, "bio blasting"), with emphasis on enzymatic treatments with amylases, cellulases, catalase, peroxidases and pectinases. This technological innovation has allowed the development of more environmentally correct processes in pleasant conditions, such as neutral pH, lower temperatures, lower consumption of water and energy and chemical products. Biotechnology in the textile industry exceeds the replacement of chemical products with enzymes in traditional processes, being able to develop new processes and products generating new properties to textile fibers. In order to evaluate the innovative capacity of the technologies involved in this scenario, the data of the patent documents extracted from the INPI-BR base were used, together with the data concerning Pintec (Innovation research) - which is a research carried out every 3 years, covering the sectors of industry, services, electricity and gas - carried out in Brazil, by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The extracted patent documents were selected 39 documents being 38 related to biotechnology in the textile industry deposited until 2013, being 24 on enzymatic treatment, 4 on biological treatment and 10 on other treatments. The data referring to Pintec points us in the textile biotechnology sector 18 Brazilian companies, 13 of which are called innovative. As no patent document of a Brazilian company was found, the evaluation carried out in conjunction with the Pintec gives us how the Brazilian textile sector is seen in an innovative process that demonstrates that the textile industry is evolving.