Brazil, R&D and the role of clusters

conditions necessary for creating an ambitious and realistic Development Plan in the area of Science,
Technology and Innovation.
Several of the initiatives included in the Plan are aimed at encouraging businesses to incorporate
research, development and innovation (RD&I) activities in their production processes. The Ministry feels
that more encouragement should be concentrated on cutting-edge areas - nanotechnology and
biotechnology, for example - engineering and areas that are strategic for Brazil's development, such as
space.
The Plan’s priorities are directly linked to the four strategic axes guiding the present national policy on
STI:
• expanding, integrating, modernising and consolidating the National System for Science Technology
and Innovation (Sistema Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia e Inovação - SNCTI), working in conjunction
with state governments to broaden the nation's scientific and technological base;
• acting decisively to speed up the development of an environment favourable to innovation in
business, and reinforcing the Productive Development Policy (Política de Desenvolvimento Produtivo -
PDP);
• strengthening research and innovation activities in strategic areas related to national sovereignty,
especially energy, aerospace, public safety, national defence and Amazonia, and
• working towards increasing the popularity of science teaching, bringing about greater access to the
goods created by science, and spreading technologies to improve the living conditions of the population.
Today, after various setbacks, the situation we have is that Brazil is going through a phase of maturing
among its scientific and technological communities and that the country is realising how fundamental it
is to invest in innovation to make the most of economic growth.
Institutional Consolidation of the National Science, Technology and Innovation System
Although the National System for Science, Technology in Innovation was set up in the 1970s, and has
expanded greatly in recent years, it has only recently begun to incorporate the basic elements of a policy
for technological innovation.
The System has been strengthened by partnerships with the governments of the states of Brazil and the
Federal District, which have participated in carrying out projects to create its structure. The Ministry has
also called for proposals that include states that have not been reached by means of public calls for
proposals. In this way, some of them have used Programmes such as the Programme to Support
Research in Businesses (PAPPE), the PAPPE and Zero Interest subsidies.
In order to strengthen the System is also necessary to call on the shared management of the state-level
Foundations for Protecting Research (FAPs) and to convince each part of the Federation of the
importance of applying state laws on innovation.
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