Transformation, scale, and autonomy mark the 2nd day of the Industry Congress in São Paulo

Diversifying industry, transforming research into scale, and expanding the country’s capacity to respond to strategic challenges were some of the themes that marked the second day of the Industry Innovation Congress, held this Thursday (26th) in São Paulo. Promoted by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and Sebrae, the meeting brought together entrepreneurs, researchers, and executives from major companies to discuss how Brazil can gain competitiveness in a scenario of accelerated technological change, pressure for efficiency, and the search for new growth models.

One of the central points of the debate was the need to expand the horizon of the Brazilian industry beyond its most consolidated sectors. In an interview with Times Brasil — Exclusive CNBC Licensee, the vice president of Firjan, Antonio Carlos Vilela, stated that Rio de Janeiro needs to transform its industrial potential into an effective growth strategy, without being restricted to the strength of oil and gas. “We are not just oil and gas,” said Vilela.

According to him, the state brings together opportunities in areas such as the creative industry, energy, low carbon, metal-mechanics, and the health complex, but this potential needs to be converted into coordinated action between the productive sector, universities, and the public authorities. “There is no development without all actors being committed to it. We want to join forces with other actors,” he stated.

Natura’s Vice President of Sustainability, Ana Costa, brought to the event the view that innovation and competitiveness increasingly involve an integrated look at business models, collaboration, and sustainability. According to her, this movement is already incorporated into the company’s culture and appears on fronts such as bioeconomy, circular economy, and partnerships with other companies. “Innovation, when it is collective, is much more powerful,” she said. For Ana, sustainability should not be treated as an additional cost, but as a lever for resilience and value generation. “I don’t see this as a cost; I see it as an investment,” she argued. “This is the kind of thing that has no patent, which should be of public interest.”

Autonomy, technology, and practical application

The innovation agenda also appeared associated with the country’s response capacity in strategic areas. Fiocruz researcher Margareth Dalcomo stated that the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of strengthening national production and reducing external dependence in critical moments. “It is necessary for us to achieve autonomy,” she said. In her assessment, this effort requires an industry more connected to the country’s real needs, especially in emergency contexts.

In the logistics area, Wilson Sons’ innovation manager, Simone Prado, presented an example of digital transformation applied to a traditionally heavy operation. According to her, the company developed a tool to monitor tugboats throughout the country and support, in real-time, the safety of vessels and maneuvers. “We are able to monitor 80 tugboats across the entire Brazil with 26 proprietary antennas that we have,” she said. Simone stated that the solution has already been bringing concrete gains to the company, including in areas such as operational efficiency and decarbonization. “We already see many results.”

In addition to the executive, the co-owner of Nilo By Lysis, Ana Maria da Silva, showed how an innovation born from scientific research can gain industrial scale and social impact. The company developed a protein from fish and chicken viscera, used in a high-nutritional-value ice cream aimed at oncological patients, children, and the elderly. According to Ana Maria, the next step is to seek major industry partners to expand production and distribute the product on a larger scale.

Throughout the second day of the congress, the speeches converged on the message that innovation is no longer a peripheral differential and has occupied the center of the dispute for competitiveness, growth, and the response capacity of the Brazilian industry.

Source: Times Brasil