A research agenda proposal on the influence of ApexBrasil on export, internationalisation and foreign trade

Abstract

Objective: The present technical report aimed at presenting a research agenda regarding the influence of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) on academic research about export, internationalisation, and foreign trade for academia, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders. Method: We pursued a case study approach divided in a two-stage process. Firstly, we systematically reviewed 35 articles related to ApexBrasil’s influence on scientific research. Secondly, we analysed official documents and conferences, besides consulting a panel of specialists from ApexBrasil, in order to propose the research agenda. Main Results: Firstly, the results suggested that the knowledge about ApexBrasil’s influence on scientific research is scattered in different journals, researchers, and themes; furthermore, many studies do not have an impact on the international academy. Secondly, based on the data analysed, we propose a research agenda that might narrow the gap between ApexBrasil, academia, and other stakeholders. Relevance / Originality: The findings suggest unique insights about how and to what extent ApexBrasil’s influence is reported by scientific research and show which themes for future investigations are aligned with the agency’s interests, as well as the interests of its stakeholders in a scenario affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical / Methodological Contributions: Our main contributions consist in a research agenda proposal based on theoretical and practical perspectives developed as a technical report. By doing so, we seek to raise awareness of academia, practitioners, and policymakers about ApexBrasil’s influence and potential relevance for international business studies, whilst pointing out important research gaps in the literature and potential new research avenues.