Brazil, R&D and the role of clusters

5. Innovation and business development infrastructure
There is developed an action plan for 2007-2010 that is focusing on science, technology and innovation
as basis for national development.
The action plan is a set of driving actions and policies for integrating Science, Technology and Innovation
in Brazil. The consolidation of this system recommends its structure with the business sector, states and
municipalities, in view of the strategic areas for the country's development and revitalization and
consolidation of international cooperation. Other important targets in this new context, T & I are:
increasing the number of scholarships for education and training of skilled human resources and
improving the system of promotion for the consolidation of the infrastructure of scientific and
technological research in various areas of knowledge.
The actions taken to increase the technology level in the business sector is collected in the program
PACTI (Programa de Apoio á Capacitição Tecnológica da Indústria, The program for supporting a higher
technology level in industry)
One of the most important aims of PACTI is the improvement and consolidation of Ministry of Science
and Technology incentive schemes through programs and instruments operated by CNPq and Finep.
These should form a co-ordinated and integrated set of programs and means of support to guarantee
conditions for expanding and improving quality in the national system of Science, technology and
Innovation, as well as improving their geographical distribution within the country, improving incentive
programs demands a variety of initiatives and actions that must be widely discussed within the scientific
community.
The main aims to be followed are those of scientific and technological excellence at international level,
vigorous integration of the Science and Technology system with the business system, the improvement
of science education, and more balanced participation of the various regions of Brazil in the effort to
produce a knowledge base.
The Action Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (PACTI 2007-2010) that was launched in
November, 2007 forms part of the set of plans developed for the second term of the government of
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The first of these, presented in January 2007, was the Accelerated Growth Program (Programa de
Aceleração do Crescimento - PAC). This aimed to implement a large number of projects and at the same
time generate and encourage investment in the infrastructure of transport, energy, housing and health
in order to give Brazil the opportunity to broaden and sustain rates of economic growth and social
development in the medium and long terms.
PACTI 2007-2010 was planned as a major element in the initiatives comprising the Government
Program, mobilizing and linking skills and actions across the spectrum of the Federal Government in
cooperation with state and municipal governments. With the use of this instrument, it is hoped to
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