MCTI Revitalizes Data Governance and Strategic Science & Technology Indicators in Brazil
Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation restructures data governance and revives key science and technology indicators to enhance innovation policy and data-driven governance.
- • MCTI has reconstructed the historical series of public investments in science and technology after a hiatus since 2018.
- • The Innovation Survey (Pintec) has been relaunched with expanded scope including process and product innovations.
- • A Permanent Indicators Committee was re-established to improve methodological decisions involving diverse stakeholders.
- • A new data architecture and roles like data executives and curators have been instituted to enhance data quality, integration, and sovereignty.
Key details
The Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) is making significant advancements in restructuring its data governance framework and reviving essential science and technology indicators to bolster evidence-based public policy and innovation analysis. Verena Hitner, head of the Governance and Indicators Directorate, highlighted the administration's priority to restore strategic data production, which had been neglected since 2018.
Among key initiatives, MCTI has reconstructed the historical series of public investments in science and technology that had remained stagnant since 2018. The Innovation Survey (Pintec) has been reinstituted and methodologically revamped to include both product and process innovations. This broadening of scope aims to deliver qualified data on innovative business behaviors, helping identify patterns, gaps, and opportunities across sectors.
Additionally, MCTI has re-established the Permanent Indicators Committee to refine methodological decisions, involving academia, government, and industry representatives. A new internal data architecture is under development to improve data organization, quality, and interoperability. Roles such as data executives and curators have been introduced to reinforce governance and uphold data sovereignty by emphasizing the strategic value of domestically produced information.
MCTI is also deploying data scientists across Brazilian states to advance data-driven science nationwide. The effective use of this refined data is already impacting public policy formulation, enabling more precise allocation of resources and policy evaluations.
In a broader collaboration, the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (Ibict), linked to MCTI, has joined the Capes Global initiative to foster international academic cooperation, enhancing the internationalization of Brazilian postgraduate education. Furthermore, MCTI is preparing to launch a new program with the National Education and Research Network (RNP) to integrate government science and technology databases, aiming to establish a national data infrastructure tailored to Brazil’s societal needs.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
