Brazil needs an integrated IoT research and development policy

João Neves Fernandes, member and founder of the Brazilian IoT Forum, talks about research and technology advances in the country and in the world
 

According to Gartner, more than 40% of organizations expect the Internet of Things (IoT) to transform their business or provide new opportunities for revenue and cost savings in the short term over the next three years. However, only a minority have deployed IoT solutions in a production environment. With this scenario in mind, Portal ABES interviewed João Neves Fernandes, member and founder of the Brazilian IoT Forum, to talk about technologies and research on the topic.
 
How do you evaluate the research and development of technologies focused on the Internet of Things in Brazil?
There is a lot going on in academia, universities and research centers, not to mention companies that also started with RFID technologies, M2M, embedded solutions and are now naturally expanding their research and development in the field of IoT. But there is still no coordination of these efforts to maximize results, expand collaboration between those involved and interested parties, increase the dissemination of concepts and practices. In Brazil, there is still no integrated policy for R&D (strategic research agenda) and the Forum has been participating in this promotion, which would help to disseminate, coordinate efforts and increase the productivity of research, development and offer of solutions.
 
When was the Brazilian IoT Forum created and what are its objectives?
The Forum has existed since April 2012, but its founders were already betting that IoT could be a great opportunity for our country and had already held events in 2010 and 2011 on the subject. The Forum was founded and is directed by people from different segments (companies, academia, research institutes, government agencies) with the objective of "waking up Brazil" to the importance that this opportunity offers to our country, in all segments. We are playing this game on a global level.
 
What are the main challenges of Internet of Things technologies?
Standards, interoperability and governance are challenges that stand out in promoting the use of these technologies, which enable the internet of things. Privacy and security also emerge as important points to be attacked and guaranteed to facilitate the adoption of IoT by companies and society in general.
 
Internet of things technologies can be applied to cars, wearables, industries in general, homes, health, city management, etc. In which of these areas are the main advances and innovations taking place, in your opinion?
Speaking in terms of Brazil, there is a lot being done in the areas of health, logistics, retail, manufacturing industry and smart grids. In global terms, the major projects of smart cities, veritable laboratories for the practical development of solutions for society, in all segments.

How can companies and individuals participate in the Forum?
People can register through the form found in the “REGISTER” tab of the website www.iotbrasil.com.br. Through this registration, the interested party is considered an affiliate of the Forum and will have access to the reserved content of the site, simply being logged in to be able to download the exclusive information for members. The Forum usually organizes face-to-face public events, on average, every 3 months. There are several working groups, organized by topics of interest, which can be consulted on the website. For April, we have planned an event in the retail segment, but we still don't have the details. The Forum has grown a lot in terms of interest in its activities and has been invited to various events organized by third parties, in Brazil and abroad, mainly in the European Community, with which the Forum has a close relationship and collaboration actions.