When considering a research and development institution for new technologies in Brazil, CPqD stands out as an independent institution, focusing on innovation in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sectors such as communication and multimedia, utilities, finance, industries, public administration, defense and security.
With 40 years of history and an associate at ABES, CPqD has the largest R&D program in Latin America, bringing to the market product technologies, mission critical systems, technological services and consultancies that benefit large and small companies, increasing the efficiency of these businesses and leveraging entrepreneurship in Brazil, national competitiveness and society's digital inclusion. Its team currently brings together about 1,200 highly trained professionals, recognized for their creativity and commitment to high levels of quality.
In addition to an EMBRAPII accredited unit, the institution maintains partnerships with MCTIC / FINEP, through the Fund for the Technological Development of Telecommunications (FUNTTEL); BNDES, through Funtec; and with the energy concessionaires, through the R&D program of the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), and the industries, through the IT Law, among others.
In this interview with Edvaldo Paro, vice president of Technology at CPqD, we take stock of the 2017 projects and present the center's plans for 2018, considering the entire process of digital transformation underway in the world and the transversal penetration of ICTs in all sectors of the economy. Follow:
- How was 2017 for CPqD in terms of growth, alliances, new research and the ICT market?
2017 was a good year, especially due to the strategic bets defined as the focus of CPqD. They are the open innovation ecosystem, smart agribusiness and smart cities, all of which are permeated by the Internet of Things (IoT) concept and based on technological issues related to connectivity and artificial intelligence.
In terms of projects and alliances, it is worth highlighting the performance of the EMBRAPII CPqD Unit, which registered significant growth in 2017, both in the number of projects and in the values of these projects, which are always developed in partnership with companies. In addition, CPqD has also formed important alliances with Brazilian and European innovation centers, under the Horizon 2020 program (H2020), the largest research and innovation program in the European Union, initiating three new projects in the areas of 5G networks, Computing in Cloud and an Internet of Things solution for preventing childhood obesity.
Another important international project, which also involves partnerships with other institutions and companies, is CityZen - Connecting cities to citizens, developed under the Brazil-UK Cooperation initiative with the aim of creating a digital platform focused on health and the well-being of the elderly.
- How has the Dojot platform project been since its launch?
Since its launch in September 2017, dojot has been confirming our expectations, with a strong positive response from the community interested in developing Internet of Things solutions in Brazil. Today the dojot it is already part of several projects under development for different sectors of the economy, such as the intelligent public lighting solution developed in partnership with the company EXATI.
In order to facilitate the integration of the value chain that makes up the ecosystem of IoT solutions, we are evolving the technological core of the platform dojot with new features, incorporating the WiSUN communication standard, which will enable the integration of a greater number of devices to the dojot, with open protocols and interoperability.
Also worthy of mention is the special National Technology award received by CPqD from Tele Yearbook on Communications Innovation Synthesis 2017, by the platform design dojot. Thus, we are confident in the prospects for its consolidation as an enabling platform for the IoT ecosystem in the country.
- CPqD participates in the formulation and detailing of the actions of the National IoT Plan. What to expect from this initiative and its impact on Brazilian competitiveness?
CPqD was part of the consortium selected for the development of a study contracted by BNDES, which is being the basis for the National IoT Plan, to be launched by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC) in the first half of this year ( 2018). The study indicated a series of important actions for the development of IoT in the country, which were compiled in the action plan document, already published and available on the BNDES website (https://www.bndes.gov.br/wps/portal/site/home/conhecimento/pesquisaedados/estudos/estudo-internet-das-coisas-iot/estudo-internet-das-coisas-um-plano-de-acao-para-o-brasil). The initiatives are organized into four transversal themes: innovation and international insertion, human capital, connectivity and interoperability and regulatory infrastructure, security and privacy. In addition, the plan also proposes three mobilizing projects: formation of an innovation ecosystem, creation of an IoT observatory and support for the adoption of IoT in Cities. We believe that many of these initiatives and projects will be present in the National IoT Plan and that the repercussions will be highly positive for Brazil.
- What are the main innovation projects completed by CPqD in 2017 in the ICT sector?
One of the main projects completed in 2017 was AgroTICs, in the area of intelligent agribusiness. Developed in partnership with the São Martinho Group - one of the largest in the sugar and alcohol sector in Brazil - and financed with FUNTEC / BNDES resources, the project consists of the implantation of a private and broadband mobile network, based on LTE technology optimized for rural areas and remote areas, and should contribute to the implementation of the Internet of Things concept in the agribusiness sector. The solution developed by CPqD uses the platform dojot and it is made up of a base station and vehicle terminals adapted to the operational requirements of the sugarcane plants. These terminals, which were installed in harvesters, tractors and trucks that transport cane, are equipped with multiple interfaces: Wi-Fi, CAN (used in agricultural machines for transmitting telemetry data), GPS and RFID, in addition to the interface LTE. With this system, it will be possible to collect data in the field and send it, in real time, to databases and applications, where they will be processed and used for decision making. This is a project that enables the concept farm online.
- Could you mention the main CPqD projects and goals for 2018?
There are several projects in the areas of cognitive systems, operation and business support systems (OSS / BSS), energy, optical and wireless communications and Internet of Things. Our actions focused on smart agribusiness and smart cities, with connectivity and artificial intelligence applications, are worth mentioning. CPqD's focus is on solutions aimed at digital transformation, with an emphasis, mainly, on business reinvention (for example, with the monetization of data for the IoT ecosystem) and user experience (with virtual digital assistant projects) . It is also worth mentioning the projects aimed at energy storage, developed with the energy utilities, attending an strategic call from Aneel for the sector. One of CPqD's goals for 2018 is to file at least 18 patent filings and 70 software registrations in the year.
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