Companies take innovation projects out of the drawer
O Estado de S. Paulo
With the resumption of the investments after the crisis, the companies are also taking the innovation projects out of the drawer. After a reduction in the pace of contracting of credit lines for research and development, the National Development Bank (BNDES) contradicted the expectation of fall and ended 2009 with releases little above the level of those of 2008, of R$ 573 million (US$ 333.1 million). As for the Projects Financing Agency (Finep), it exceed last year by R$ 900 million (US$ 523.3 million) in credit operations, more than 60% above 2008. In 2010, it plans disbursements nearly 80% higher: R$ 1.6 billion (US$ 930.2 million).
In the transition from 2009 to 2010, large companies have announced investments in research centers and partnerships to develop new products and processes. Last week, General Electric announced the creation of a new research center in Brazil, the fifth in the world and the first one in Latin America of one of the companies that invests the most in R&D in the world: US$ 6 billion a year. It should come out of the paper in 2011.
The Brazilian multinational Vale announced in December the creation of its technological Institute and it will build three new research centers in the Country. Also this year, the company hires 50 scientists and defines the sites and the projects of the centers it will build in São Bernardo do Campo (SP), Ouro Preto (MG) and Belém (PA). In two and a half years, Vale will disburse R$ 72 million (US$ 41.9 million) of the R$ 120 million (US$ 69.8 million) of the total investment for the three centers, complemented by foundations of promotion of development of the States.
After becoming the country's main pharmaceutical laboratory in view of the success of generics, EMS bets on biotechnology to increase its portfolio. Last month, it executed a scientific-technical agreement with the Chinese Shanghai Biomabs laboratory for the development and production of biopharmaceuticals in its unit in Hortolândia (SP) in up to five years. There, the company built a modern research center, to which it directs 6% of its earnings of R$ 2 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) and where it already employs 200 scientists.
Instead of investing on its own center, telephone operator Oi prefers the model of open innovation. In December, it entered into agreements with four institutions of research in search of innovations in the area of data transmission. The company wants to take advantage of the creative stock of universities and institutes. It poses the challenge and pays those who deliver the solution.