Brazilian States Paraná and Goiás Launch Major Science and Technology Innovation Initiatives
Paraná launches Brazil's first science and technology cooperative, while Goiás establishes a public tech company and digital bank to foster innovation and public service modernization.
- • Paraná inaugurates CTNI Coop, Brazil's first science and technology cooperative focused on bioeconomy sectors.
- • Goiás creates Goiás Tecnologia (GOtech) to improve public management through technological solutions and AI expansion.
- • GOtech will expand AI-based crime detection with 5,000 smart cameras across 204 municipalities by 2025.
- • Pequi Bank, a digital financial platform in Goiás, will serve 660,000 clients and facilitate R$16 billion in transactions, implemented in three phases.
Key details
Two Brazilian states have taken significant steps to boost science, technology, and innovation through state-led initiatives announced on June 9, 2026. Paraná inaugurated Brazil's first-ever cooperative dedicated to science and technology, while Goiás established both a public technology company and a digital financial platform aimed at improving public services and expanding financial inclusion.
Paraná's new cooperative, the Cooperativa de Ciência, Tecnologia e Negócios Inovadores (CTNI Coop), was formalized at the Palácio Iguaçu in an event led by Governor Ratinho Junior and Fundação Araucária. The cooperative aims to channel scientific knowledge from high-level scientists, business leaders, and experts in finance and law into innovative enterprises, primarily focusing on bioeconomy areas critical to Paraná—water, energy, and food production. Representatives from Spain's Mondragón Cooperative, the world's largest industrial cooperative known for technological transformation, were present to share insights.
Meanwhile, Goiás announced two key laws launching Goiás Tecnologia (GOtech), a public technological company designed to drive digital transformation and optimize public management, and the Pequi Bank, a digital financial service platform geared toward micro and small businesses. Governor Daniel Vilela emphasized GOtech's role in simplifying citizen life and enhancing state and municipal public administration with a lean and financially independent structure. GOtech integrates assets such as Goiás Telecom and Planalto Solar Park, and is set to expand the AI-powered "IA Contra o Crime" program from 567 to 5,000 smart cameras across 204 municipalities by 2025, supported by an investment of R$ 200 million.
Pequi Bank, developed in partnership with Stark Bank S.A., targets around 660,000 clients with a vision to handle approximately R$ 16 billion in annual transactions. Its rollout will occur in three phases, beginning with prepaid and credit cards, followed by public credit offerings and digital account services. Notably, the initiative incurs no cost for the state; all investments come from partners with profits shared between parties.
These initiatives reflect a broader push by Paraná and Goiás to create innovation ecosystems through cooperative and public structures that foster technological advancement, economic development, and improved public service delivery.
"Goiás is positioning itself as a reference in technology and public service," said José Frederico Lyra Netto, Secretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Similarly, Paraná’s CTNI Coop represents a pioneering model in Brazil for transforming research into business ventures in key economic sectors.
Together, these state-led endeavors demonstrate Brazil’s regional commitment to leveraging science and technology as engines for sustainable growth and modernization.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
