Brazil sets out plans to boost innovation
The Brazilian government has published a National Innovation Policy (NIP) setting out plans to encourage and develop innovative products, processes and services across the country.
According to ZDNet, the new policy targets six main areas with the aim of enhancing productivity and competitiveness in the economy, wealth generation and social well-being. The areas include improving skills; widening the innovation talent pool; encouraging international engagement; and stimulating research, development and innovation within the Brazilian private sector. The government says the NIP will promote the coordination and distribution of public funds towards the advancement of innovation.
An Innovation Committee, managed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI) and chaired by the presidential office, will oversee the wide-ranging project. It is due to publish a detailed National Innovation Strategy in the near future, the technology website reported.
The committee will comprise representatives from nine government departments, and will also be charged with promoting partnerships at the regional and international levels. Five additional advisory committees are to be established, possibly including external representatives from fields such as local authorities and industry.
National innovation AI network launched
The NIP wasn’t the only news on innovation to emerge from Brazil in the past few days. On Monday, the government announced the launch of a national innovation network focused on the development of artificial intelligence (AI), ZDNet reported.
The network, which has been jointly developed by the MCTI and the Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company (EMBRAPII), will support startups and larger businesses to develop new AI products and services through funding and technical-scientific support in the use of technology such as machine learning, the ‘internet of things’ and big data
Alongside supporting AI development within industry, the aims of the new network are to foster national AI research, development and innovation, and to improve international collaboration in the field – in particular with Europe, Israel and North America.
There will be 17 national research centres funded by the government over the next five years, with scope to allow further funding from the private sector. The work of the national innovation AI network will be overseen by the Telecommunications Research and Development Center (CPqD) with the Federal Institute of Ceará (IFCE) in the vice-presidency of the organisation for the first two years.