Brazil Boosts Digital Innovation with R$350 Million in New Funding Initiatives

Brazil has undertaken significant funding efforts to stimulate digital and technological innovation, highlighted by two major projects announced on April 24, 2026. The federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), in partnership with the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep), launched a R$300 million public call to support companies developing advanced digital technologies under the Mais Inovação Brasil program. Concurrently, the state government of Paraná invested R$50.2 million to establish a new Centro de Inovação e Tecnologia Terra dos Pinheirais in Irati, aimed at fostering science, technology, and cultural development regionally.

The R$300 million federal call is designed to fund Brazilian for-profit companies engaged in research and development, focusing on projects with technological risks across technology readiness levels (TRL) 3 to 8. These projects cover priorities including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced robotics, quantum technologies, and digital protection for children, with up to R$100 million earmarked specifically for child safety initiatives. The funding is granted as economic subsidies that do not require repayment. Proposals are accepted until September 30, 2026, or until funds are depleted. Selection involves a two-phase process reviewing formal qualification and merit based on innovation, relevance, and team expertise. This initiative aligns with Brazil's digital transformation policies and the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (Pbia), reaffirming innovation’s role in the nation’s economic and social development.

Meanwhile, Paraná’s R$50.2 million investment will complete the long-stalled Denise Stoklos Theater and establish a multifunctional center spanning 8,654 square meters to serve as a hub for startups, research laboratories, co-working spaces, training rooms, and auditoriums. The project, supported by an R$8 million contribution from the Irati municipality, is slated for completion by 2029 and is expected to benefit local higher education students and approximately 9,400 basic education students in the region. Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior emphasized this as a pivotal infrastructure for integrating academia and the productive sector to foster future city development. Seti Secretary Aldo Nelson Bona noted the project’s historic significance in revitalizing Irati’s innovation and cultural potentials.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate Brazil's vigorous commitment to enhancing its innovation ecosystem through significant federal and state-level investments, directly supporting technological advancement and socio-economic growth across the country.