Digital transformation in university technology expo

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this article is to explore the Innovation and Entre-preneurship Fair held by the Technological Sciences Center of the Regional University of Blumenau (Universidade Regional de Blumenau [Furb]), to describe the relevant factors in its execution through the digital environment. Originality/value: This study presents elements to understand the conditions of implementation and the challenges involved in holding technological fairs within the scope of higher education organizations through information and communication technologies (ICT). Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research with a descriptive-interpretative approach. The descriptive approach consisted of observing facts and procedures adopted within the scope of a higher education institution. The interpretive approach examined that the facts and procedures that constitute the object of study presuppose the intersubjective context from which the observation was made. Findings: The study allowed us to recognize that the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fair, held over seven years at the Center for Technological Sciences of Furb, has adapted to digital media in its eighth and ninth editions. Due to the need to follow health and safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic, this initiative added to the fact that it is the first major Furb event held entirely in digital form. It presented logistical challenges to make practices and processes compatible with the environment and resources of the world wide web.