Companies in Brazil and abroad can qualify to receive funds intended for the implementation or expansion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation Centers (PD&I). The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), a funding agency linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, will allocate R $ 3 billion for the initiative.
The launch of public competition was on Thursday (20), at the headquarters of the multinational Bosch, in Campinas, interior of São Paulo, with the participation of the vice president and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin.
PD&I centers are facilities that concentrate laboratories, test spaces, product development, basic and applied research, as well as collaboration with universities and other institutions.
The funds will be distributed in forms of economic subsidies, such as loans, shareholding and non -refundable resources for cooperative projects between companies and technological institutions.
Guidelines
For companies to be contemplated, proposals must be aligned with at least one of the missions of New Industry Brazil (NIB)Federal Government Industrial Development Policy.
Missions are developments in the areas of infrastructure, housing and mobility; agro -industry; Industrial Health Complex; digital transformation; Bioeconomics and energy transition; and defense technology.
PD&I center projects should have a minimum credit demand over R $ 20 million, except for the North and Northeast regions, where the amount will be from R $ 10 million. The period of execution of the proposals may be up to 36 months.
Competitiveness
Vice President and Minister Geraldo Alckmin considers that innovation is one of the axes of neoindustrialization.
“The public call of BNDES and FINEP will encourage our companies to follow this path, investing in research and development; sophisticating our products and processes; and generating jobs and income in Brazil, ”he says.
For the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, the centers accelerate the launch of new or improved products and services, expanding the competitiveness, complexity and diversification of the Brazilian economy. He points out that Brazil “has relevant scientific competence, forms qualified professionals, produces knowledge, has physical facilities and diversity of research institutes”.
“But it still has a long way to walk the transformation of these assets into innovations by companies and the retention of talents,” said Mercadante.
According to Finep President Celso Pansera, PD&I centers “play a central role in attracting and maintaining qualified jobs that raise the level of income and economic complexity.”
He adds that “large research centers still attract a whole qualified chain of suppliers who generate a virtuous cycle of growth and innovation.”
Innovation Ranking
Brazil is in the 50th position in the Ranking of the Global Innovation Index (IGI), released in September 2024 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (OMPI). The country fell a position compared to the previous year. The list includes 133 countries.
The top ten in the classification are Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
