Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation

Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation
Name	Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation
Native name	Agência Brasileira de Pesquisa e Inovação Industrial
Formed	2013
Jurisdiction	Brazil
Headquarters	Brasília
Minister1 name	Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil)
Parent agency	Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (Brazil)

Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation The Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation was established to coordinate industrial research and promote technological innovation across Brazilian sectors, integrating public and private actors such as Embrapa, Fiocruz, FINEP, BNDES, and regional entities like SENAI. It serves as a nexus among federal institutions including the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (Brazil), state secretariats such as the São Paulo Secretariat of Economic Development, and international partners like the European Union and World Bank. Through strategic programs it aligns with policies from the National Congress of Brazil, regulatory frameworks like the Lei de Inovação (Brazil), and national plans such as the Plano Nacional de Cultura and sectoral roadmaps influenced by actors like ABDI and CNI.

History

The agency was conceived during discussions involving President Dilma Rousseff, advisors from Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Brazil), and representatives of Confederação Nacional da Indústria to respond to challenges highlighted by reports from OECD, World Economic Forum, and UNESCO. Initial pilots drew on models from Fraunhofer Society, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and TNO while adapting lessons from the Programa Mais Médicos and collaborations with Universidade de São Paulo, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Legislative milestones included references to the Lei da Inovação debates in the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), and funding transitions tracked through the Federal Budget (Brazil).

Mandate and Objectives

The agency's mandate intersects mandates set by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (Brazil), strategic guidance from Conselho Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (CCT)],] and priorities from industrial confederations such as CNI and ABDI. Objectives include accelerating translational research with partners like Fiocruz, supporting agritech strands with Embrapa, fostering energy innovations with Petrobras affiliates, and catalyzing digital transformation with actors like Serpro and Telebras. It seeks to implement innovation policy instruments inspired by frameworks from European Commission, Organisation of American States, and Inter-American Development Bank, while responding to sectoral needs identified by Associação Brasileira de Startups, Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE), and technology parks such as Cietec.

Organizational Structure

The agency is organized into directorates and advisory boards reflecting structures seen at FINEP, CAPES, and CNPq, with executive leadership nominated under oversight from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (Brazil) and confirmation processes involving the Federal Executive Branch (Brazil). Departments coordinate thematic portfolios—agribusiness innovation linking to Embrapa, health technologies liaising with Fiocruz and ANVISA, energy and petroleum with Petrobras and ANP, and digital industries engaging Anatel and Serpro. Advisory committees incorporate academics from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, entrepreneurs from ABDI networks, and representatives from SEBRAE, CNI, and state research foundations such as FAPESP and FAPERJ.

Programs and Funding Mechanisms

Programmatically, the agency administers competitive grants, challenge prizes, and matching funds modeled after instruments used by Horizon 2020, National Science Foundation, and Innovate UK. Funding mechanisms combine appropriations channelled through FINEP and credit lines from BNDES with venture co-investments from entities like Banco do Brasil and private investors in networks such as ABStartups. Priority programs have targeted sectors including bioeconomy projects linked to Embrapa, vaccine development with Fiocruz, renewable energy pilots with Eletrobras and Itaipu Binacional, and digital industry acceleration involving SENAI and Serpro. The agency also operates procurement-linked innovation instruments aligned with public contracting rules debated in the Federal Audit Court (TCU) and legislative oversight by the Senate of Brazil.

Partnerships and International Cooperation

Internationally, the agency forges bilateral and multilateral partnerships with organizations like the European Commission, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and national research agencies such as NSF, DFG, and CNRS. Regional cooperation involves the Mercosur innovation agenda and collaboration with national counterparts including CONICET (Argentina), COLCIENCIAS (Colombia), and ANII (Uruguay). Bilateral industry partnerships have been cultivated with corporations such as Siemens, Embraer, IBM, and Siemens Healthineers, and with academic consortia including Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Impact and Notable Projects

The agency catalyzed projects that linked public research institutions to industry deliverables including vaccine platform scaling with Fiocruz, precision agriculture pilots with Embrapa and Bayer (company), offshore wind demonstration projects with Petrobras and Eletrobras, and smart manufacturing initiatives with SENAI and Embraer. Notable impacts include increased patent filings tracked through the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), acceleration of startups in programs associated with ABStartups and Cubos Academy, and regional innovation hubs established in partnership with FAPESP, FAPERJ, and municipal governments like São Paulo. Evaluations by external bodies such as OECD and World Bank have informed iterative reforms comparable to those implemented by Innovate UK and Fraunhofer Society.

Category:Research institutes in Brazil Category:Science and technology in Brazil