Peripheral Territory to Statewide Network: The EVA Ecosystem, INCITE EVAi, and Territorialized Innovation in Brazil

This working paper presents the EVA Ecosystem as a territorialized model of scientific innovation integrating research, extension, digital transformation, social inclusion, and eco-development. Originating in the Extremo Sul Territory of Identity (Territory 07) in the state of Bahia, Brazil, EVA evolved from a socioeconomically vulnerable peripheral region into a statewide research and innovation network. The ecosystem achieved national scientific validation through the EVA INCT proposal, approved on scientific merit in a highly competitive national call involving 572 submissions. EVA is currently implemented through INCITE EVAi, a publicly funded initiative supported by the Bahia Research Foundation (FAPESB). With 150 researchers, 45 directly involved, 20 partner institutions, and activities spanning 64 municipalities across four Territories of Identity, EVA represents a pioneering experience of territorialized innovation in Brazil and contributes to international debates on science, equity, and knowledge production in the Global South. This document is published as a working paper and is intended for subsequent submission to an international peer-reviewed journal.