Brazil Invests Over R$12 Million to Boost Technology and Social Innovation in Northeast

On July 3, 2026, the Brazilian government formalized a significant investment package exceeding R$12 million targeted at advancing social and technological development in the Northeast region. This funding, confirmed through cooperation agreements signed at the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA) in Salvador, aims to establish a strategic education network focused on empowering youth and workers in solidarity economy, software development, and accessibility technologies.

A centerpiece of the investment is the Program for Insertion in Identity Territories (Prointer), allocated R$2.8 million for its second phase. Prointer will expand the successful Bahia socioproducer training model and is a cooperative effort between IFBA, the Federal Institutes of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. It targets the qualification of 360 farmers and entrepreneurs through brief courses by December 2027, employing a practical training methodology backed by three permanent educational labs. These labs will facilitate 15 local fairs and three major state events dedicated to the solidarity economy.

Additionally, R$1.3 million is invested in the Center for Access, Research, and Innovation in Assistive Technology (Capta) focused on developing hardware and adaptations that promote autonomy for people with disabilities. The digital games sector also benefits, with R$8 million evenly split to support two residency programs connecting students with industry challenges, further encouraging innovation in educational game development.

Complementing this regional effort, the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and Labor and Employment (MTE) launched a nationwide R$100 million fund to finance technological innovation projects within the solidarity economy. Projects supported through the National Program for Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (Proninc) will receive grants from R$1.5 to R$3 million, focusing on social technology development and university-cooperative collaboration. Germana Pires Coriolano, National Secretary for Science and Technology for Social Development, underlined the initiative as a revival of inclusive economic policies that blend academic knowledge with community needs.

MTE Minister Luiz Marinho highlighted the solidarity economy's role as a lasting strategy for inclusive growth. The state of Bahia is a key beneficiary, having attracted over R$1.3 billion from 2023 to 2025 to strengthen research, innovation, and scientific infrastructure.

These investments collectively represent a robust governmental commitment to leveraging science, technology, and education to promote economic solidarity and social innovation in Brazil’s Northeast, aiming for transformative impacts in local communities and the wider regional economy.