The article examines territorial policies, particularly those aimed at local-based endogenous development. The program of areas of technological modernization (Programa dos Pólos de Modernização Tecnológica) of Rio Grande do Sul's State Department of Science and Technology has been established by community universities, specially in the 1990's. Actions by collective civil actors in order to establish innovative policies at the Highlands technological modernization areaat Caxias do Sul University - a planning region within the Highlands regional Development Council - specifically in the cities of Caxias do Sul and Campestre da Serra.
territorial policies; local-based endogenous development