Brazil has the largest and most diverse science, technology and innovation system in Latin America;
it is a result of accumulated accomplishments for the last 50 years, including the mastering of deep
water petroleum prospecting, aircraft construction and agribusiness record exports.

Currently, Brazil invests in the industry what amounts to 1% Gross Domestic Product, which must climb to 1.5% until 2010. Science, Technology and Innovation Action Plan for 2007-2010 includes federal government investments of R$ 41.2 billion in the sector.

Recent trend indicators show domestic academic base has been showing significant growth. Between 1981 and 2006 increase of scientific articles published in international magazines occurred at an average rate of 9% a year, whereas world increase was 3%. Brazil’s accumulated expansion was 796%, whereas that of the rest of the world was only 103% during this period. Due to that, participation of Brazilians in world scientific production moved from 0.44% to 1.92% during these 25 years. In the last decades, Brazil moved form 28th to 17th place among countries with a relevant scientific production.

At the same time, there was a very rapid increase in qualified human resource offer. During the last ten years, for example, the number of Brazilians that got Master’s and PhD degrees has been growing at a rate of about 13% a year. In 2006, almost 10 thousand people got their PhD degrees, and the goal is to reach 16 thousand PhDs by 2010. Today, Brazil has 85 thousand researchers and students on scholarships (2006) who work both in universities and private companies.


Technological Parks and Business Incubators

FINEP (www.finep.gov.br)

CNPq (www.cnpq.br)

Sectorial Funds

CPqD (www.cpqd.com.br)