1st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory. Brazil has moved from a supporting role to being a global leader

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3 Sumary 1st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory Brazil and Sweden want to enhance their bilateral relations based on innovation Brazil has moved from a supporting role to being a global leader The two countries seek partnerships in strategic sectors Relations between academia and enterprises should be enhanced Successful experiences are bringing Brazil and Sweden closer together Sibratec stimulates innovation in Brazilian enterprises Swedish global experience can be useful to Brazilian enterprises Medical diagnosis and treatment technologies are priorities for innovation Volvo and Sabó Autopeças are examples of innovation and internationalization The first step has been taken st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 3

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5 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory The 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory was held in São Paulo, Brazil, at the joint initiative of the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and Vinnova, the Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems. The workshop brought together about 80 leaders from industry, academia, research institutions, and government from both countries. It was held as part of the activities contemplated in the Additional Protocol on Innovative High-Technology Industrial Cooperation signed by both countries in October The participants in the Innovation Learning Laboratory discussed ideas for promoting innovations and developing bilateral economic and technical-scientific relations and came up with suggestions for joint innovation projects between Brazil and Sweden. 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 5

6 Our bilateral relations are excellent and there s great potential for increasing cooperation in many areas. Annika Markovic, Swedish ambassador to Brazil 6

7 Brazil and Sweden want to enhance their bilateral relations based on innovation In the distant year of 1891, Ericsson set up the first telephone exchange in Brazil. Since then, other Swedish enterprises have followed suit and began doing business and investing in Brazil. Today, Brazil is the main partner of Swedish industry in Latin America, with over 200 industries installed and 50,000 jobs generated. Intent on strengthening this long tradition of bilateral business, the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems (Vinnova) held the 1st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory in May 2010 in São Paulo. For two days, leaders from industry, academia, and the governments of the two nations identified opportunities for technological and business projects, organizations interested in conducting them, and conditions for implementing them. The unprecedented feature of the event lies in its focus on innovation as a key Director of ABDI, Clayton Campanhola, in the opening remarks of the 1st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 7

8 element to ensure competitive advantages on the global market. The laboratory was divided into five panels. While more general issues related to innovation (the role of innovation in domestic economies, joint research, and entrepreneurship and internationalization of enterprises) were addressed in the three first panels, with a focus on the bilateral relationship, the last two panels included discussions on opportunities in specific knowledge and business areas: health care and transportation. The result of these discussions will provide inputs for the public and private sectors to develop projects based on innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and the internationalization of enterprises. Our bilateral relations are excellent and there s great potential for increasing cooperation in many areas, said the Swedish ambassador to Brazil, Annika Markovic, during the event s opening ceremony. The director of ABDI, Clayton Campanhola, expressed his expectations on the results of the exchange of experiences and information being fostered by the two agencies. He pointed out the current positive scenario of economic stability, inflation under control, and increasing public investments in Brazil. Campanhola said that today Brazil is following new social and economic paradigms that translate into more robust growth, more jobs, social inclusion, income distribution, reinforced investments. This scenario has led more and more companies to invest in innovation in Brazil, taking advantage of its solid research base. The 1st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory is one of the results of the Additional Protocol on Innovative High-Technology Industrial Cooperation signed by both countries in October 2009, when president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Sweden. Panelists»» Clayton Campanhola Director of the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI)»» Sylvia Schwaag-Serger Director of the International Department of the Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems (Vinnova)»» Annika Markovic Ambassador of Sweden to Brazil 8

9 Brazil has moved from a supporting role to being a global leader Brazil has assumed a leading role in the international arena. This is what the director of ABDI, Clayton Campanhola, said at the opening ceremony of the 1st Innovation Learning Laboratory. Relying on a stable financing market and an adequate macroeconomic regime based on floating exchange rates, increasing reserves, inflation under control, and primary surpluses, Brazil tends to become the fifth largest economy in the world in 2026, according to the forecasts of the Economist Intelligence Unit (USA). The presence of large Brazilian enterprises in the international market, such as Gerdau, Ambev, Petrobrás, Vale, Natura, Marcopolo, and Embraer, is just one of the signs of the country s internationalization. Another important aspect highlighted by Campanhola is the Brazilian Government s participation in efforts to foster economic growth. The Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), which includes direct public investments in infrastructure, and the Productive Development Brazil has moved from a supporting role to being a global leader. Clayton Campanhola, Director of ABDI 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 9

10 Policy (PDP), which creates favorable conditions for greater investments and innovation in the Country involving the public and private sectors, are strong examples of this. The Director of the International Department of the Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems (Vinnova), Sylvia Schwaag-Serger, stressed that high investments in R&D, a very favorable legal environment, and a successful transnational industry are some of the reasons why Sweden is seen as one of the most innovative countries in the world. Sweden is a small and open country, she summarized. Sylvia believes there s a lot of room for increasing cooperation between her Country and Brazil, mainly in areas such as science, technology, and innovation. According to Sylvia, this Innovation Laboratory should be taken seriously and lead to concrete action, bearing in mind that successful collaboration requires a lot of work and depends on contacts between people. It is expected that the connections established during this first Innovation Laboratory will bear fruit and materialize in the form of projects in the future. Sweden is a small and open country Sylvia Schwaag-Serger, Director of the International Department of the Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems (Vinnova) 10

11 The two countries seek partnerships in strategic sectors Brazil and Sweden have already developed a comprehensive plan contemplating actions in areas such as trade, investment, defense, bioenergy and biofuels, science, culture, high technology, and sustainable development. According to the Ambassador of Sweden to Brazil, Annika Markovic, the plan is setting up a platform for a dialogue policy designed to stimulate cooperation between the two countries. By stepping up research and cooperation in innovation, we expect to increase bilateral trade and investment flows, Markovic believes. The Ambassador proposed the holding, in 2011, of a Brazilian edition of the race for innovation, a workshop in which multidisciplinary teams of entrepreneurs of both countries would work jointly for 72 hours to come up with solutions in products and services which can be patented to meet the needs and the problems of specific technological and business areas. This initiative has been organized by Sweden in other countries already: 11 editions resulted in 100 new patents, 30 of which are being marketed already. By stepping up research and cooperation in innovation, we expect to increase bilateral trade and investment flows Annika Markovic, Ambassador of Sweden to Brazil 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 11

12 Brazil is experiencing a moment of strong incentives to innovation. The entrepreneurship problem in Brazil is that most businesses are rudimentary and have low investment needs Laércio Aniceto Silva, Superintendent of the Certi Foundation 12

13 Relations between academia and enterprises should be enhanced What is the innovation scenario in Sweden and Brazil? This question was at the core of the discussions between the trade superintendent of the Certi Foundation, Laércio Aniceto Silva, and Sten Gunnar Johansson, CEO of the Mjärdevi Science Park, who participated in the initial panel of the 1st Innovation Learning Laboratory. have great capacity for innovation. He observed that Brazilian enterprises are using the same technology used by Swedish organizations, which enhances cooperation possibilities. However, Johansson said that the difference Silva believes that Brazil is experiencing a moment of strong incentives to innovation. The many initiatives he mentioned included the More Health, the Information Technology Law, and the Productive Development Policy (PDP) initiatives. The entrepreneurship problem in Brazil is that most businesses are rudimentary and have low investment needs, he assessed. The panel was mediated by the Innovation Director of the Institute for Technological Research (IPT), Fernando Landgraf. Apart from asking questions to the participants on the innovation scenario in the two countries, Landgraf urged them to identify opportunities for joint projects, establishing a connection between these discussions and the following panel. Sten Johansson believes that the two countries Laércio Aniceto Silva, Superintendent of the Certi Foundation 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 13

14 between Brazil and Sweden lies in the size of their markets, forcing Swedish companies to go international, as opposed to Brazilian enterprises, which have a huge domestic market. This is one of the main reasons why Swedish enterprises invest abroad, particularly in Brazil. In Silva s opinion, for Brazil to achieve a satisfactory level of innovation, it still needs to improve the capacity-building of students and researchers, which can be done with Sweden s help. The engineer Cyro Laurenza, from the hub of consultants Criterio Estudos Especiais (CEE), commented on the scenario for productive systems and innovation in the two countries from the perspective of academia and enterprises. The issue of innovation is not well known in Brazilian universities or corporate sector. How can we change the vision of the corporate sector, which as a general rule is only interested in capital gains? he questioned. Semida Silveira, from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, mentioned two differences between Brazil and Sweden: a marked separation between universities and enterprises and the (In Brazil) innovation is often seen as a cost, not as an investment. Semida Silveira, KTH Royal Institute of Technology 14

15 vision that, in Brazil, innovation is seen as a cost, not as an investment. Denis Maia, CEO of Choice Inteligência em Energia, agreed that innovation should not be seen as a cost, but rather as an investment in the future. In reply to a question asked by the Manager of International Affairs of ABDI, Roberto Alvarez, Laércio Aniceto Silva said that there s a lot to be done in Brazil to improve the innovation ecosystem, the main challenge for this purpose being that of building the capacity of Brazilian students and researchers. With regard to projects that could be jointly carried out with Sweden, he mentioned, as an example, the electricity-ethanol hybrid bus project developed in Joinville. Sten Gunnar Johanson concluded by saying that Sweden needs partners. The discussions showed that Brazil has evolved in this area by improving the environment for innovation and establishing a new and dynamic set of enterprises whose strategies are based on innovation. It became clear that opportunities are available for partnerships with Swedish enterprises. Brazil is not yet as innovative as Sweden, but it has skilled technological resources, a rapidly-evolving innovation environment, and positive examples of joint projects already carried out. This conclusion connected the discussions to those held in the following panel. Moderator»» Fernando Landgraf Innovation Director of the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) Debatedores»» Laércio Aniceto Silva - Trade Superintendent of the Certi Foundation»» Sten Gunnar Johansson CEO of the Mjärdevi Science Park 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 15

16 Successful experiences are bringing Brazil and Sweden closer together Business opportunities and complementariness in technology and business between the two countries were discussed in the panel moderated by ABDI s Manager for International Affairs, Roberto Alvarez. Alvarez reminded the participants of the strong presence of Swedish corporations in Brazil. On the other hand, he highlighted advances observed in the Brazilian innovation ecosystem, both in the public and private sectors. Brazil has been graduating over 10,000 PhD-level professionals every year, has companies that are going international as Clayton Campanhola recalled during the event s opening ceremony and has been developing its capital market. As an example, the volume of capital invested in venture capital funds and private equity has been growing at rates in excess of 55% a year since This scenario allows for a new engagement of Brazil in global affairs, in which Brazilian enterprises take part in and lead global technology and business projects, said the ABDI Manager. The Sales and Services director of the company Vale Soluções de Energia (VSE), Márcio Brasileiro, spoke about his company s experience with partnerships with Brazilian research institutes such as the Aeronautics Technology Institute (ITA), the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), and the University of São Paulo (USP) of São Carlos. The company is focused on developing new technologies, systems and efficient solutions in sustainable energy generation, he said. The projects developed by VSE include turbine production and combustion and gasification engineering. Márcio stressed how the company combines Brazilian innovation with highquality technology in its projects. The Swedish pragmatism and the Brazilian flexibility added to clear-cut objectives, good ideas, and support from governmental agencies are the formula for success, the executive believes. As an example, he mentioned a joint project between VSE and Scania, under which, among other things, technology is being developed for ethanol-powered engines in Brazil. The director of VSE suggested that the two countries should seek to identify appropriate conditions to complement their actions and train 16

17 professionals in Brazil using Sweden s advanced knowledge. Less than ten years were sufficient for the company Aracruz to carry out forestry projects in Brazil using Swedish technology. According to the president of Stora Enso Brasil, Nils Grafströn, the company has been using in Brazil techniques developed in Sweden and Finland for 100 years, combined with social responsibility, transparency, and environmental protection principles. The President of Stora Enso Brasil believes that Brazil needs to improve the environment for investments, simplify red tape, reduce taxes, and eliminate bottlenecks in its infrastructure. Despite these obstacles, there are many examples of successful bilateral projects between Sweden and Brazil and significant business opportunities to be explored jointly. He believes that the two countries could bet together in the global market. A partnership between Stora Enso and a Uruguayan company in the area of forest development in Uruguay is an example of this possibility. In the case of the Brazilian forest sector, Nils said that a favorable environment for foreign investments needs to be created. He criticized the complex red tape, high taxes, and infrastructure gaps that make business difficult in Brazil. The telecommunications industry provides another example of the combination of skills Brazil and Sweden could go international jointly. Nils Grafströn, President of the company Stora Enso Brasil between the two countries. Laboratories set up by Ericsson in Brazil created a favorable environment for development and innovation. With their high quality, they are coming up with global solutions based on Brazil, says Barry Bystedt, a Swedish government official. This is an example of a successful partnership between Brazil and Sweden, which did not come to be overnight. According to him, Ericsson keeps in touch with universities and technological centers that support the company s research laboratories. 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 17

18 Fernando Landgraf, Innovation Director of the Institute for Technological Research (IPT), observed that there s great potential for bilateral cooperation in gasification projects. Sweden has been taking competitive actions to develop biomass gasification projects, he highlighted. He mentioned various initiatives in this sector in Brazil and defended the participation of Brazilian institutions in consortia like the ones established in the international market. Besides direct industrial projects, mutual opportunities are available for research projects and training, Wilker Filho, from ABDI, and Luiz Henrique Campos, from the Ministry of Science and Tehnology of Brazil, stressed. Brazil can receive and send students to Sweden, which would be within the interest of both countries, as well as develop closer relations and establish networks leading to new projects in industry. The mega sports events to be held in Brazil shortly, such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, are also seen as affording major opportunities for partnerships. Denis Maia from Choice said that one of the strategic sectors to be considered is that of energy, in which Sweden has developed quite advanced technologies. Smartgrid solutions should be included in the bilateral agenda, as they will require developing technology and not simply transferring Swedish technology to Brazil, and both Brazilian and Swedish enterprises and research institutions will be able to engage in projects under consortia. Brazil and Sweden are already engaged in different and successful bilateral projects that involve developing technology and innovation. Roberto Alvarez from ABDI underlined in his concluding remarks that technology and innovation flows include a new component today, i.e. Brazil s greater protagonism, as in the VSE- Scania project. In addition to the opportunities that have been explored already, as reported in the panel, other opportunities in energy technologies were identified. Moderator:»» Roberto Alvarez - ABDI s Manager for International Affairs Panelists»» Márcio Brasileiro Sales and Services Director of the company Vale Soluções em Energia S.A. (VSE)»» Nils Grafström President of Stora Enso Brazil 18

19 Sibratec stimulates innovation in Brazilian enterprises The Brazilian Technology System (Sibratec), currently under implementation, is one of the main tools devised by the Brazilian Government to foster links between private corporations and the scientific and technological community in the country. Sibratec was established by the federal government in 2007 as part of the Science, Technology and Innovation for National Development Action Plan. The System was presented to and discussed with the participants in the Innovation Laboratory. According to Cláudia Wirz Leite Sá, analyst of the Innovation and Technological Development Secretariat of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), the main objective of the Sibratec system is to foster favorable conditions for Brazilian enterprises to increase their innovation rates. By doing this, Cláudia explained, the MCT contributes to the search for greater value-added billing, greater productivity, more competitiveness and a more intense inclusion of Brazil in the global market. (Through the Sibratec system) greater value-added billing, greater productivity, more competitiveness, and a more intense inclusion of Brazil in the global market are being sought. Cláudia Wirz Leite Sá, analyst of the Innovation and Technological Development Secretariat of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) Sibratec provides necessary technological information to micro, small and also large enterprises for them to address management bottlenecks. The system also contributes financially by covering up to 70% of their project costs, while the state government or network contributes 20% and the companies contribute 10%. In the health care area, 22 technological inclusion networks have been implemented in Brazil. Total investments amount to R$ 70 million, including R$ 18 million in counterpart funding. Cláudia stressed the important role played by the Networks of Innovation Centers, which were set up to generate and turn scientific and technological knowledge into products, processes, and 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 19

20 prototypes with marketing potential. According to her, these networks are made up of development units or groups linked to research institutes and centers or universities experienced in interacting with enterprises. There are 13 networks in operation in Brazil, particularly in the northeast, south, and southeast regions. In the opinion of Roberto Alvarez, ABDI s Manager for International Affairs, the organizations making up the Sibratec system are potentially good partners for bilateral cooperation with Sweden. He highlighted the importance of the System for building networks involving companies and research centers in Brazil, providing stimulus to interactions between researchers and institutions. 20

21 Swedish global experience can be useful to Brazilian enterprises With a small territory and a limited domestic market, Sweden has always been aware that internationalizing its enterprises is the best way for the country to grow. According to the director of the Mjärdevi Science Park, Sten Gunnar Johanson, one of the debaters in the panel on internationalization and entrepreneurship, Sweden can transfer the experience of its companies in global business to Brazil. The debate was mediated by Luiz Otávio Siqueira Cesar, director of CSEM-Brazil, who proposed a reflection to participants on how the tools available in Brazil today to support innovation can be used to ensure the feasibility of bilateral projects, including R&D internationalization. He reminded the participants that the supply of capital for undertakings in innovation grew substantially in Brazil in the past decade. Executive Denis Maia provided the recipe used by the corporation to open up new markets. We have been building partnerships. The first step is identifying companies with complementary technology and solutions that can add value and promote a win-win partnership, he said. The first step is identifying companies with complementary technology and solutions that can add value and promote a win-win partnership. Denis Maia, CEO of Choice Inteligência em Energia 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 21

22 Maia mentioned the partnership between his company and IBM. With the technology of the US company, the two enterprises developed solutions for signal transmission that can prevent blackouts. The first goal is meeting the needs of the Brazilian market, and the second one is entering the Chinese market. However, he pointed out a difficulty for Brazilian enterprises to develop bilateral projects successfully: specific financial mechanisms are lacking for projects of this kind. The Vinnova program coordinator, Ciro Vasquez, believes that the path to expand bilateral actions between Swedish and Brazilian citizens is learning more about each other. We must learn more about each another, become more acquainted with the two markets, with our products, so that we can properly assess bilateral entrepreneurship possibilities, he said. Fernando Landgraf, from IPT, believes that Sweden is keen on a soft landing agreement, provided that there is a favorable environment for Swedish enterprises in Brazil. In exchange, Sweden would offer positions in its network, opportunities for enterprises and organizations to meet, and everything that is needed. Roberto Alvarez, from ABDI, reported that Brazil has about 25 technological parks and over 400 business incubators in operation. These innovation environments could be used as a solid platform by Swedish companies in Brazil, particularly for research and development activities, which could be carried out in partnership with Brazilian organizations. Laércio Aniceto Silva said that Certi can support the operations of foreign companies in Brazil and bring them to the country. The Foundation is managing the implementation of the Sapiens Park in Florianópolis. Moderator»» Luiz Otávio Siqueira Cesar, director of CSEM - Brazil Panelists»» Denis Maia CEO of Choice Inteligência em Energia»» Sten Gunnar Johansson CEO of the Mjärdevi Science Park 22

23 Medical diagnosis and treatment technologies are priorities for innovation Demand for competencies and technologies in the health care area in Brazil and Sweden was a topic discussed in the panel mediated by the Director of the Health Industrial and Innovation Complex Department of the Ministry of Health, Zich Moysés Júnior. Lars Gustafsson, professor at the Karolinska Institute, believes that Brazil can absorb the advances achieved by Sweden in medical research, particularly in developing medicines, diagnosis tools, and follow-up on patients. The professor spoke about concerns expressed by the president of the Brazilian Biomedical Engineering Society (SBEB), Renato Zângaro. He mentioned some goals set for innovation in the health care area in Brazil, including the development of new technologies to improve diagnosis and medical treatment and the supply of new technological resources to the Unified Health System (SUS) at a low cost. Zângaro also mentioned some competencies to be explored in bilateral projects, such as biomaterials, biomedical tools, sound and image processing, rehabilitation and clinical tests. Zich Moysés Júnior said that the Brazilian Ministry of Health began to play a differentiated role in relation to industrial health care activities in The ministry began to work in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Finep, and the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) to induce the development of products and overcome the country s technological dependence. Lars Gustafsson, professor at the Karolinska Institute As a result, according to Zich, it was possible to induce the generation of new technologies and 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 23

24 expand the strategic operational capacity of public producers. This topic was also stressed by Eduardo Jorge Oliveira, from ABDI, who commented on possibilities for public-private partnerships focused on developing health care technologies in Brazil. Esbjorn Larsson, from the Getinge Group, expressed an interest in how Brazil monitors infections and fights persistent bacteria. Likewise, he mentioned the possibility of setting up Swedish training centers in Brazil and expanding the cooperation between universities of the two countries. It is a possibility to be considered by Brazilian organizations such as Certi, observed its superintendent for new business activities, Laércio Silva. The regulatory environment in the health care sector was another relevant issue addressed in the panel. According to Fábio Arcuri de Carvalho, although rules are being improved, the need to review the Brazilian regulatory framework remains. Brazil has been working to link technological development to the evolution of the health care system. Zich Moysés Júnior - Director of the Health Industrial Complex and Innovation Department of the Ministry of Health The two countries should work together to develop a better understanding of their regulatory systems, he suggested. In sum, opportunities were identified ranging from research to setting up branches of Swedish companies in Brazil to develop products in tune with the needs of the Brazilian market. For this purpose, tools to support innovation available in Brazil could be used, linking those developed by the Ministry of Health and those funded by innovation projects. Once again, using technological parks and incubators was mentioned as a possibility for reducing the cost for accessing the Brazilian market and establishing better links with Brazilian research competencies. Moderator»» Zich Moysés Júnior - Director of the Health Industrial Complex and Innovation Department of the Ministry of Health Debaters»» Renato Zângaro - President of the Brazilian Biomedical Engineering Society (SBEB)»» Lars L. Gustafsson Professor at the Karolinska Institute (KI) 24

25 Volvo and Sabó Autopeças are examples of innovation and internationalization The example of Volvo, which has been developing products in the Brazilian industrial complex for 30 years, was mentioned by the president of the company for Latin America, Per Gabell, during the panel on innovation and opportunities for bilateral business in the transportation sector. Gabell stressed the talent and vocation of Brazilians for innovation. The experience of the Swedish company in Brazil was highlighted by a professor from the Engineering Production Department of the Polytechnic School of USP (University of São Paulo), Mauro Zilbovicius, the panel s mediator. According to him, companies become more acquainted with the problems and needs of the country operating locally. Developing products locally is a positive differential for assembly plants, which can then offer products in tune with the needs of the market and therefore increase their sales, and for local industry at large, whose chances of taking part in the production chain increase. Walter Mena, Engineering Coordinator of the company Sabó Autopeças, told the story of the company, which has been operating in Brazil for 67 years and investing in R&D for 30 years, and has expanded its product manufacturing and development operations to markets such as China, the US, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and Argentina. According to him, investing in innovation is key for competing with large enterprises operating in this market. To survive in the market, we need valueadded technology. Per Gabell, President of Volvo for Latin America Laércio Aniceto Silva, from the Certi Foundation, provided another example of innovation. The Federal University of Santa Catarina and the Certi Foundation, among other organizations, are working on a project to produce electricity- and 1 st Brazil-Sweden Innovation Learning Laboratory 25