Brazil Boosts Science and Technology with Strategic Investments and Technological Sovereignty Initiatives
Brazil ramps up public and private investments in science, technology, and space sovereignty with new funding, projects, and a supercomputer donation to UFSC.
- • Public investment in science and technology increased by 30% from 2021 to 2024, with R&D funding rising 35%.
- • National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) resources grew 216%, boosting financing conditions.
- • Brazil commits over R$ 88 million to strategic space projects including the Micro Lançador Brasileiro for satellite launch autonomy.
- • MCTI donated a deep learning supercomputer to UFSC to support AI research, with UFSC having attracted R$ 80 million in federal funding.
- • Investments expand scientific activities in Brazil’s North and Northeast regions, highlighting regional dynamism.
Key details
Brazil has witnessed a significant surge in public investment in science and technology, marking a reversal from years of decline. According to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), public investment increased by 30% between 2021 and 2024, with research and development (R&D) funding rising by 35%. In 2024, government funding reached R$ 88.7 billion for science and technology and R$ 72.9 billion for R&D, supported by a 216% increase in resources to the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT).
Minister Luciana Santos stressed the strategic importance of these investments, highlighting initiatives such as the 'Ciência de Dados pelo Brasil' project, which received over R$ 13 million to improve science and innovation indicators, and the 'Tecnova 2026/2027' program, committing R$ 588 million to support innovative micro and small enterprises.
Concurrently, Brazil is advancing its technological sovereignty, particularly in space and defense. At the SpaceBR Show in São Paulo, over R$ 88.4 million was announced to strengthen the national space industry, including R$ 192 million invested in the Micro Lançador Brasileiro (ML-BR) program, aimed at enabling independent small satellite launches. Additional projects include the development of a liquid propulsion platform with R$ 26.4 million funding and the Project MANTA, an advanced radar system for maritime monitoring, supported by R$ 62.1 million.
Further strengthening Brazil’s scientific infrastructure, MCTI donated a HLS-GAUDI® 2 Deep Learning Server supercomputer to the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) to enhance artificial intelligence research and data processing applications like telemedicine. UFSC has secured approximately R$ 80 million from MCTI for 17 projects. Minister Santos praised Santa Catarina as a leading recipient of federal science investments, totaling R$ 5.6 billion.
These combined efforts reflect Brazil’s renewed commitment to revitalizing its science and technology sector, enhancing regional scientific dynamism in the North and Northeast, and fostering collaboration between public and private sectors to build a more robust and sovereign technological future.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
