Brazil's MCTI Advances National Science and Innovation with Ocean Decade Plan Update and R&D Reporting Enhancements

Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) has launched two major initiatives aimed at strengthening the country's science, technology, and innovation landscape in 2026. The first initiative, a national mobilization titled “O Brasil na Década do Oceano: Vozes para o Futuro,” seeks to update the National Plan for the Implementation of the United Nations' Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development. This effort involves organizing community-driven workshops across Brazil from June to August 2026, which include a broad spectrum of participants such as public and private institutions, indigenous and traditional communities. These workshops are structured around seven thematic axes including ocean conservation, climate adaptation, sustainable blue economy, and social justice, aiming to gather wide-ranging perspectives and local knowledge. Contributions from these workshops will be systematized, publicly consulted, and consolidated in preparation for Brazil's participation in the Third Ocean Decade Conference for Sustainable Development (ODC27) in Rio de Janeiro in April 2027.

Concurrently, the MCTI has introduced the FormP&D 2026, an updated online tool replacing previous versions to improve the reporting and monitoring of research and development (R&D) activities by companies benefiting from the Lei do Bem tax incentive program. This update includes simplified data entry, a technical support area, integration with government databases, and a unique project identifier to streamline the reporting process. The measure comes amid impressive growth in Brazil's innovation ecosystem, with private R&D investment rising 23% from R$41.93 billion to a record R$51.59 billion from 2023 to 2024. The number of beneficiary companies increased to 4,252 and innovation projects to 14,877, while the R&D workforce grew from 34,291 to 52,222 professionals dedicated to technological development. MCTI Minister Luciana Santos emphasized the critical role of converting Brazil's substantial research output into economic gains through innovation, while Secretary Daniel Almeida highlighted ongoing efforts to assist companies via the upcoming Program Embaixadores da Lei do Bem and the integration of AI solutions.

These initiatives exemplify Brazil's strategic commitment to harnessing scientific advances and community participation to broaden technological capacity, stimulate economic growth, and foster sustainable development policies within the country.