Automotive sector discusses the opportunities and challenges to innovate at event of IPT
Event held by the Technological Research Institute (IPT) with support from Investe SP gathered representatives from Hyundai, Toyota, Comil, Volkswagen, General Motors, Metro-Schacman, Caterpillar, Honda, Foton Motors, Renault, Volvo and Anfavea
The IPT and Investe SP gathered this Tuesday, September 25, representatives of the automotive sector to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the research and development area. “The key word here is competitiveness. Our goal is to join efforts, consolidating the partnership between the automotive sector and the IPT so that Brazil becomes an export platform once again,” said the president of Investe São Paulo, Luciano Almeida.
The event was also intended to map the sector’s needs with regard to innovation, aiming to improve the services provided by the 40 laboratories of IPT to the automotive industry. “Understanding the demands of our clients and turn them into goals is a great challenge,” said the CEO of IPT, Fernando José Gomes Landgraf.
The idea of the meeting is due to the new automotive regime, which comes into force in January 2013, providing credits on the payment of the Industrialized Products Tax (IPI) for companies that invest in innovation projects. The new regime, known as Inovar Auto has its guidelines established by Law No. 12715, approved by President Dilma Rousseff on September 18.
The technological meeting carried out at IPT allowed the participants to visit inside the three laboratories of the institute: corrosion and protection, bionanomanufacturing and solar simulator. According to Landgraf, the institute will contact all companies that participated in the event in order to analyze the possibilities for partnership.
Embrapii
In addition, the technological meeting allowed the technological institute to introduce to the companies the opportunity to participate in the pilot action of the Brazilian Research and Industrial Innovation Company (Embrapii), created by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) in partnership with the National Confederation of the Industry (CNI) and supported by the Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP). The IPT is one of three Brazilian institutions that participate in the pilot action of Embrapii, which aims to foster cooperation projects between national companies and research and development institutions to generate innovative products and processes.
For these projects, the cost is shared between the company, Embrapii and IPT. The company’s participation occurs through the investment of financial resources, varying according to the project selection criteria based on three pillars: innovation, which evaluates the potential of knowledge generation of the project; challenge, which takes into account the technological bottleneck to be overcome; value, which considers the potential outcome of the project for the company and for the IPT.
Companies wishing to submit proposals to participate in the pilot action of Embrapii at IPT should develop projects related to technological platforms in biotechnology, nanotechnology, microtechnology and ultraprecision metrology. According to IPT, these areas are key to promoting sustainable development, ensuring competitive advantage to the companies. The multidisciplinary nature of these platforms allows the development of integrated technological solutions with applications in different markets.
“The resources of Embrapii are non-refundable and can finance up to 90% of the projects depending on the innovation,” said Flavia Motta, from the Planning and Business Coordination of IPT.
To discuss the opportunities for developing innovative products and solutions, please contact IPT staff via e-mail ([email protected]).
Technological innovations
A windshield with surface treatment through the application of nanotechnology which repels water and retires the electric wiper, and the car body painting with regenerative capacity, which also thanks to nanotechnology is able to automatically remove small scratches. These were two technological innovations mentioned in the technological meeting that are under development and should reach the market in the coming years.
It also addressed the issue of reverse logistics, which will create the automakers to disassemble vehicles to promote the recycling of old cars or vehicles out of circulation, complying with the new environmental legislation, and the need to improve methods for the approval of new vehicles so that this service becomes more agile.