By Jamile Sabatini Marques, director of innovation and development at ABES
We are living a social, economic, cultural and political revolution in this 21st century. The impact of the internet and communication technologies, real-time information, increased competitiveness between companies, the globalized society and the speed of all these changes are some of the factors that characterize this period.
This dynamic environment imposes several challenges, including for companies, which need to reinvent themselves to keep up with the pace of these transformations. Therefore, organizations are currently encouraged to invest in innovation, whether product, process, marketing or organizational. There are studies that show that companies with innovative products/services have a growth above the Brazilian average, export more easily and have an easier time retaining their workforce.
culture of innovation
Innovation need not be seen, however, as a fearsome monster. There are simple ways to promote innovation in the company. It can come, for example, by encouraging the employees themselves to pay benefits for the ideas generated and implemented, and even relying on the support of the customers themselves. An example in the software sector is the delivery of a beta version of a program to some customers and subsequent rework in the system, based on the feedback given by these users.
In fact, another relevant challenge is accreation of an organizational culture, in which it is allowed to try, dare, make mistakes, risk. I usually say that innovation projects must have a dedicated team and, at the same time, permeate the entire organization, so the chances of success are higher.
An important step in creating an environment that allows for innovation is the participation of entrepreneurs in events on the subject and also the relationship with the bodies that provide incentives for innovation. ABES has been working a lot in this line, giving feedback to its associates on what has been requested.
Today, there are also several sources of funding and legislation that guarantees tax benefits for companies to innovate and promote development. On the ABES portal, we have the ABDI Guide and also a presentation on taxes, lecture given by mr. Eduardo Grizendi, which we recommend reading.
In search that ABES carried out in August 2013, we found that many companies are unaware of what is available in the market today as sources of funds.
Another aspect of this conjuncture is the movement of startups, which has been very relevant in the current economic and social scenario that calls for innovation. They are managed by people who are not trapped in complex organizational structures. Small companies find it easier to innovate, which can benefit larger companies.
Larger corporations, on the other hand, seek, through their new business areas, to invest in startups and incubated companies, and many can even use tax benefits for this acquisition, such as the Information Technology Law.
As for the financial part, there are different sources of reimbursable and non-reimbursable resources in Brazil. BNDES, Finep and regional banks have been working to improve the lines proposed for the sector, reducing real guarantees. Non-reimbursable resources are issued by funding notices, by institutions such as Finep, CNPq and FAPs. These are support instruments that the entrepreneur can take advantage of. The fact is that the entrepreneur who does not think about innovation can see his business stagnate.
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