Within the National Innovation System, universities play a key role as the main source of knowledge that supports national productivity and as a system that seeks to improve the competitiveness of firms competitiveness and to find answers concerning market needs in today's fast-changing and globalized economy. Innovation, as a source of competitiveness, is normally supported by a firm's technological capabilities: internal R & D, external collaborative agreements, and relationships with universities. This study uses a cluster analysis to identify three clusters that represent respectively those firms that interact closely with universities for technology development (which include R & D projects) and technological learning activities, those firms that interact with universities for technological learning only, and those that do not have any kind of relationship with universities. We also analyze the innovation performance of each cluster. Data here come from the Second Colombian Innovation Survey, which was applied in 2005 to a sample of 6,222 firms. Among the main results, this study shows a higher innovation performance for those firms with relevant linkages for technology learning activities.

Vasectomy service providers at the Clínica del Hombre (Men's Clinic) in Bogotá, Colombia, construct their representations concerning male sterilization on the basis of biomedical discourse, their interaction with clinic users, and their own life experiences. During provision of such services, the counselors are the health professionals who have the closest contact with these clients of the clinic. Counselors are in charge of exploring their motivations in requesting the service, in addition to providing information allowing them to take a calm, sound decision. They also directly filter demand based on their experience, knowledge, and skills, in permanent negotiation between institutional criteria (number of children and gap between them, client's age, steadiness of couple's relationship, and conviction concerning the decision), and their perception and assessment of the client. An analysis of the counselors' representations of decision-making as pertaining to vasectomy indicates that it is a relatively simple and harmless procedure as well as a liberating option in terms of family planning.

Los oferentes del servicio de vasectomía en la Clínica del Hombre, en Bogotá, construyen sus representaciones sobre este método anticonceptivo con base en un discurso biomédico, en su interacción con el usuario y en sus propias experiencias de vida. En la oferta del servicio, los orientadores tienen el mayor contacto con los usuarios. Son los encargados de indagar los motivos para solicitar el servicio y dar información que permita tomar una decisión con tranquilidad y certeza. Adicionalmente, son quienes, de manera directa, filtran la demanda del servicio a partir de sus experiencias, conocimientos y destrezas. Esto, conforme a una permanente negociación que realizan entre los criterios institucionales (número y espaciamiento de los hijos, edad del cliente, estabilidad de la pareja y grado de seguridad en la decisión), y su percepción y valoración del usuario. Las representaciones de los orientadores estudiados sobre la toma de decisión de la vasectomía muestran que es presentada, por una parte, como un método fácil e inofensivo y, por otra, como una opción de planificación liberadora.

Vasectomy service providers at the Clínica del Hombre (Men's Clinic) in Bogotá, Colombia, construct their representations concerning male sterilization on the basis of biomedical discourse, their interaction with clinic users, and their own life experiences. During provision of such services, the counselors are the health professionals who have the closest contact with these clients of the clinic. Counselors are in charge of exploring their motivations in requesting the service, in addition to providing information allowing them to take a calm, sound decision. They also directly filter demand based on their experience, knowledge, and skills, in permanent negotiation between institutional criteria (number of children and gap between them, client's age, steadiness of couple's relationship, and conviction concerning the decision), and their perception and assessment of the client. An analysis of the counselors' representations of decision-making as pertaining to vasectomy indicates that it is a relatively simple and harmless procedure as well as a liberating option in terms of family planning.

Los oferentes del servicio de vasectomía en la Clínica del Hombre, en Bogotá, construyen sus representaciones sobre este método anticonceptivo con base en un discurso biomédico, en su interacción con el usuario y en sus propias experiencias de vida. En la oferta del servicio, los orientadores tienen el mayor contacto con los usuarios. Son los encargados de indagar los motivos para solicitar el servicio y dar información que permita tomar una decisión con tranquilidad y certeza. Adicionalmente, son quienes, de manera directa, filtran la demanda del servicio a partir de sus experiencias, conocimientos y destrezas. Esto, conforme a una permanente negociación que realizan entre los criterios institucionales (número y espaciamiento de los hijos, edad del cliente, estabilidad de la pareja y grado de seguridad en la decisión), y su percepción y valoración del usuario. Las representaciones de los orientadores estudiados sobre la toma de decisión de la vasectomía muestran que es presentada, por una parte, como un método fácil e inofensivo y, por otra, como una opción de planificación liberadora.