28 million were invested in IT innovation in the state
With a total of R$ 28 million in credits, Rio Grande do Sul was one of the states where ABES and BNDES launched, in the second half of 2014, the Innovative MPME development line, with the support of BRDE (Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul) , which is also responsible for operations in Santa Catarina and Paraná. The funding line aims to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses that innovate in the IT sector, financing the investments necessary for the introduction of innovations in the market, through the promotion of incremental improvements in their products and/or processes.
Alexander Nunes Leitzke, planning manager for BRDE in Rio Grande Sul, spoke in an interview to Portal ABES about the dynamics of MSME Inovadora in the state and the regional peculiarities of companies that seek the credit line to innovate. According to the executive
What are the main objectives of BRDE in RS?
BRDE is a traditional Development Bank. In this sense, our focus is on long-term financing (credit) to enable productive investments in the South region, including Rio Grande.
What is the profile of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies in your state?
Medium-sized companies, but concentrated in micro and small companies and with a strong innovative profile. Many of them are cutting-edge companies from the technological point of view.
How many companies have already hired the Innovative MPME line in your state? What is the volume of resources released?
Here in Rio Grande do Sul, we reached 11 companies, which contracted a total amount of R$ 28 million in 2014.
Based on the main difficulties that companies had to release funds, what guidance would you give them to get approval of the funding line?
Basically, there are two important points for accessing long-term credit, which is a bottleneck for these companies: administrative and financial organization of companies (very common they focus on projects and "forget" about the company's economic-financial management, such as cash flow management; cash, organizational management, actual accounting, HR management, etc); and structuring of guarantees. Here is a point that BRDE has been working together with Finep and BNDES to make guarantee funds viable and, as far as possible, make requirements more flexible.
In your opinion, how will the MPME Inovadora line contribute to the development of the ICT sector in the state?
This line is already contributing, as we are market leaders in the transfer of resources from the BNDES System to finance innovation. Objectively, companies can execute their innovative projects and put them into practice in the market. This generates benefits for the company directly and indirectly for society through the positive externalities that such investments provide.
What are the prospects for granting resources for IT companies in your state in 2015?
Double compared to 2014, as there is a potential market to be reached through this type of financing.
How do you rate the Innovative MPME line in view of the increase in interest rates in Brazil?
The credit restrictions that the Brazilian financial system is going through directly affect companies, harming them. Whenever there is an increase in the Selic rate, for example, the lines of innovation (with subsidized rates) become more attractive not only because of the opportunity cost compared to the Selic rate, but because they provide project feasibility and their consequent return on capital, as in the case of MSME Inovadora. In this sense, innovation financing lines become even more attractive to investors who fit this cutting-edge technological profile.
Other information you wish to add.
I believe that the BNDES' initiative to promote innovative companies and projects should be highlighted, breaking a little the traditional long-term financing model focused only on fixed assets (works, machinery and equipment).
Alexander Nunes Leitzke, planning manager for BRDE in Rio Grande Sul, spoke in an interview to Portal ABES about the dynamics of MSME Inovadora in the state and the regional peculiarities of companies that seek the credit line to innovate. According to the executive
What are the main objectives of BRDE in RS?
BRDE is a traditional Development Bank. In this sense, our focus is on long-term financing (credit) to enable productive investments in the South region, including Rio Grande.
What is the profile of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies in your state?
Medium-sized companies, but concentrated in micro and small companies and with a strong innovative profile. Many of them are cutting-edge companies from the technological point of view.
How many companies have already hired the Innovative MPME line in your state? What is the volume of resources released?
Here in Rio Grande do Sul, we reached 11 companies, which contracted a total amount of R$ 28 million in 2014.
Based on the main difficulties that companies had to release funds, what guidance would you give them to get approval of the funding line?
Basically, there are two important points for accessing long-term credit, which is a bottleneck for these companies: administrative and financial organization of companies (very common they focus on projects and "forget" about the company's economic-financial management, such as cash flow management; cash, organizational management, actual accounting, HR management, etc); and structuring of guarantees. Here is a point that BRDE has been working together with Finep and BNDES to make guarantee funds viable and, as far as possible, make requirements more flexible.
In your opinion, how will the MPME Inovadora line contribute to the development of the ICT sector in the state?
This line is already contributing, as we are market leaders in the transfer of resources from the BNDES System to finance innovation. Objectively, companies can execute their innovative projects and put them into practice in the market. This generates benefits for the company directly and indirectly for society through the positive externalities that such investments provide.
What are the prospects for granting resources for IT companies in your state in 2015?
Double compared to 2014, as there is a potential market to be reached through this type of financing.
How do you rate the Innovative MPME line in view of the increase in interest rates in Brazil?
The credit restrictions that the Brazilian financial system is going through directly affect companies, harming them. Whenever there is an increase in the Selic rate, for example, the lines of innovation (with subsidized rates) become more attractive not only because of the opportunity cost compared to the Selic rate, but because they provide project feasibility and their consequent return on capital, as in the case of MSME Inovadora. In this sense, innovation financing lines become even more attractive to investors who fit this cutting-edge technological profile.
Other information you wish to add.
I believe that the BNDES' initiative to promote innovative companies and projects should be highlighted, breaking a little the traditional long-term financing model focused only on fixed assets (works, machinery and equipment).
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