With resources of the order of R$ 3.5 million, the initiative will benefit companies in Brasília and the Integrated Development Region of the Federal District and Surroundings (RIDE)
As part of the celebrations of the 61 years of the Federal capital, Softex and the Research Support Foundation of the Federal District (FAPDF) announce the launch of the Digital District Program.
With resources in the order of R$ 3.5 million and execution of 18 months, its objective is promote innovation and digital transformation of companies and organizations in the Federal District and the Integrated Development Region of the Federal District and Surroundings (RIDE), as well as developing talents connected to the new digital economy.
The initiative has four main axes: intrapreneurship and corporate innovation; open innovation, with companies connected to the Innovation ecosystem; talent identification for the digital economy and internationalization.
“The gap between the productive sector, public institutions, academia and the market is latent in the Federal District. The actors do not have actions that promote their interaction and that foster innovation. Precisely because we understand that this integrated action is the best way to promote innovation, development, knowledge generation and new technologies and solutions for the different areas and demands of society, we are supporting proposals such as that of the Digital District ”, explains the Technology coordinator and Innovation from FAPDF, Gilmar dos Santos Marques.
Marking the initial phase of the program, the Modeling Laboratory gathered, at the end of last month, 50 guests representing 38 institutions and companies from different segments of the Federal District to carry out a survey of the difficulties, perceptions and needs of its main stakeholders in the face of digital transformation , innovation and talent development for the digital economy, in addition to promoting technical surveys on the ecosystem.
“The impact that a consolidated innovation ecosystem, with the effective role of the so-called quadruple helix - government, companies, universities and society - can bring to the economic development of a country is huge, being closely linked to job creation, research production and technology development ”, highlights Diônes Lima, Softex's executive vice president, adding that the Digital District has in its essence the creation of new innovation and entrepreneurship hubs outside the Southeast axis, something vital in a country with the continental extension of Brazil.
In order to give traction to the Program, even in this first semester, partnerships will be signed with institutions and class entities, as well as the realization of a series of thematic mobilization events, among meetups and immersive workshops on innovation and entrepreneurship.
All this with a view to launching the Call for Intrapreneurship next July. It will focus on corporate innovation, the development of intrapreneurs and talent for new digital careers.
The Open Innovation Call will start in September and will promote the connection of companies to the innovation ecosystem. The internationalization training phase will take place in 2022.
The path to the Digital District - Although it has a considerable number of startups, the Federal District has a considerable discrepancy in relation to data related to innovation in the national scenario. According to research Endeavor, the DF presents one of the worst entrepreneurial cultures in the country when compared to other Brazilian states that have a more fortified and connected ecosystem.
Holder of the eighth largest national GDP and with about 86 thousand companies in different sectors, the DF is characterized as a great storehouse of opportunities for the development of innovation. The productive sector of the Federal District and RIDE is concentrated in activities in the sectors of civil construction, industrial services, food, beverages and non-metallic minerals, which account for 91.8% of the industry of the federative unit. It is well known that the local industry needs strengthening to increase its national and international competitiveness. For this reason, promoting innovation is one of the ways that can contribute to this process of economic development.
The Federal District demands funding instruments in order to strengthen its innovation ecosystem and also promote the approximation of local companies and institutions to this ecosystem, enabling not only new opportunities for innovation, but also many times more efficient ones.
At the same time, it is equally important to develop a culture of intrapreneurship in organizations, which are strategies and mechanisms to encourage, promote and develop innovative projects based on their internal talents, using the ecosystem itself as an important point of support in this development. To promote this acculturation, it is necessary to discuss and work on the agenda of intrapreneurship within companies and institutions, through training actions and project development practices, all activities provided for in the Digital District schedule.
For detailed information about the program, visit www.distritodigital.org.br
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