The Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation (Embrapii) was born with a clear mission: to bring science and industry closer together to transform knowledge into innovative solutions. Over the course of its 12-year history, Embrapii has consolidated itself as one of the important instruments for stimulating the technological competitiveness of Brazilian companies, contributing to the strengthening of production chains, the generation of qualified employment and the advancement of the knowledge-based economy.
More than 2,400 companies have already been supported by Embrapii, in more than 3,500 Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) projects, with a total investment of R$6.8 billion, taking into account values ​​corrected by IPCA. This is a joint effort between research centers, the production sector, government agencies and institutional partners, with important results in the creation of new products, processes and business models. This flexible and non-bureaucratic operating model is essential for Brazilian industry to be able to compete on a global scale and respond quickly to the technological challenges required by our time.
Embrapii is a social organization (OS), a private entity that maintains a management contract with four federal government ministries: the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (supervisory body); Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services; Ministry of Health; And the Ministry of Education. This model ensures project strength, speed, transparency and focus on results, allowing the organization to work flexibly and in line with overall innovation policies. We also have strong partnerships with the Brazilian Small and Micro Business Support Service (Sebrae), which allows us to expand the access of small and micro businesses to innovation, and with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), which has allowed the creation of thematic programs in priority areas, such as digital transformation, renewable energy and the circular economy.
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We live in a time of profound and rapid transformation. The pursuit of a low-carbon economy and cleaner production standards is redefining the role of companies and innovation. Brazil deserves something that points to the future. We have an agenda for competitiveness, which is also an agenda for social inclusion and sustainability.
In this context, the industry must be green, digital and inclusive. Embrapii acts as an agent of transformation precisely by supporting projects that reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency, develop sustainable materials and, above all, value Brazilian biodiversity, focusing on the potential of Amazonian production chains and the bioeconomy.
Sustainability is a unique opportunity for Brazil. The contribution of Brazilian industry to the creation of a low-carbon economy both internally and globally places Brazil in a much better place in the world.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which begins today in Belém, Pará, represents a historic opportunity to converge global environmental commitments and the technological advances needed to meet them. Innovation is the link that turns goals into highly positive results – and this is exactly where Embrapii plays its part. Through a network of 91 units and 9 competence centers, the institution links scientific research with industry requirements, accelerating the development of technological solutions with high economic and environmental impact.
This innovation system can also be understood as a means of inclusion. Small and medium-sized companies have access to the same innovation opportunities as large companies, strengthening the national production base and expanding the social scope of science. Democratizing access to knowledge is essential for a country seeking sustainable growth and reducing inequality between regions.
It is necessary to point out that the projects supported by Embrapii are directly aligned with the objectives of the New Industry of Brazil (NIB), an industrial policy launched by the Federal Government that seeks to promote a new cycle of sustainable development, focusing on productivity, energy transition, digitalization and reducing regional inequality. In total, over the four years of the NIB, Embrapii is expected to support nearly two thousand projects, with a total value of R$1.8 billion, requested by companies of all sizes and from all sectors in the six main tasks of the policy.
Sustainability is not an obstacle to development, but a condition for its continuation. Innovation is the way to produce more and better, using fewer resources and respecting the planet’s boundaries. We believe that economic prosperity and environmental preservation constitute two complementary dimensions of the same agenda: the agenda of the future.
At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), Brazil will have the opportunity to reaffirm its leading role in the global climate agenda. Embrapii is an essential partner for companies and organizations that share the goal of building a greener, more high-tech and competitive economy. The challenge is great, but it also represents a unique opportunity to make the country a reference in sustainable innovation.
It is important that Embrapii remains steadfast in its mission: to connect science, technology and industry to transform Brazilian knowledge into solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure a more prosperous and balanced future for all.
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