Public policies and fostering innovation are priorities
What has already been done and what is expected from government guidelines to promote digital transformation in Brazil? This issue was discussed by some of the main authorities involved in the elaboration of public policies in the country in the area of new technologies, digital strategy and industry 4.0 at ABES SOFTWARE CONFERENCE 2018, an event that took place on August 20, 2018, in São Paulo. The panel “Digital Transformation: the Government's Vision” took part: Jorge Mario Campagnolo, Director of Policies and Programs to Support Innovation at MCTIC; Rafael Moreira, MDIC's Secretary for Innovation and New Business; and Thiago Camargo Lopes, SEPOD Secretary of MCTIC. The moderator was the businessman and vice-chairman of the ABES Board, Gérson Schmitt, who stressed that the government needs, more than ever, innovative solutions to offer better services to society and reduce expenses.
First to speak, Campagnolo (MCTIC) pointed out that the influence of the new industrial revolution, in which professional training is a major challenge, in the face of the changes that will come, being necessary to promote both the training of new professionals and the rehabilitation of people who are already in the job market. “The country has scientifically evolved and the international indicators are good, but we are still not taking advantage of all the science produced. It is necessary to encourage entrepreneurship and startups that are out there. We use knowledge to add value to business ”. The executive also emphasized the relevance of the Lei do Bem as one of the great instruments for fostering business innovation, which allows to enjoy tax benefits for conducting innovation research and technology development, without depending on public calls and sharing risks with the Government. Federal Government, in addition to citing the launch of the Centelha Program (read here) and Embrapii (read here).
Bearing in mind that after the conference a seminar would take place with the presence of presidential candidates, Moreira (MDIC) took the opportunity to say that the candidates' government plans, whether on the left or the right, mention startups, innovation, digital transformation and industry 4.0. "Cheap technology, the movement of startups in verticals and the dialogue between the software industry and the government are examples of new paradigms and the evolution of the Brazilian innovation ecosystem," he said. “A job that we have been doing very consistently at the MDCI, in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology, is to expand the investment strands and possibilities, seeking to marry industrial and innovation policies, which need to be together, connected”, he explained, benefiting already established companies such as startups. In his evaluation, Moreira commented that the ecosystem has a lack of resources, but also suffers, because the incentive programs are not well aligned, leading to the need for new public policies to increase productivity, encourage the migration of companies to industry 4.0 , promote the increase in GDP and open space for ICT and automation companies to work in an integrated way for digital transformation in different economic sectors, impacting the issue of government policies for training personnel for the new job market.
Regarding the digital transformation, Camargo cited several Brazilian advances in recent months, such as the launch of the geostationary satellite, which will make the Connected Education Program viable and bring High Speed Broadband to municipalities that did not even have a connection, through the Internet for All program; the changes in the Computer Law and the Law of Good, allowing direct investment in startups and in venture capital funds; the regulation of the Legal Framework for Science, Technology and Innovation, allowing, among other things, the possibility for Science and Technology Institutes to be partners of startups; the launch of the Brazilian Digital Transformation Strategy, facing the challenges imposed by new business models and a world of connected devices that grows day by day; the approval of the General Law for the Protection of Personal Data; and the National IoT Plan, which, despite the decree pending signature, has financing instruments for companies available at BNDES and Finep.
As soon as the electoral legislation allows, the Federal Government should announce, according to Camargo, the unification of all support programs for startups, a process whose objective is to, without spending more money, serve more innovative companies, optimizing the allocation of resources and avoiding overlapping initiatives and competition between public bodies themselves.
About the 8th edition of ABES SOFTWARE CONFERENCE and the Seminar "Brasil 2022 - Independence (Digital) or Death (Competitive)?
This year, the conference had as its central theme “Digital Transformation of Brazil and Public Policies”, and had more than 20 speakers and panelists of the highest level, rooms for business meetings and an area for company exhibitions. The event was sponsored by IBM Platinum; SigninaForte, Intel and EMX Tecnologia, as premium sponsors; Caesbra Benefits and Microsoft, gold sponsors; and Totvs, silver sponsor. Partners and supporters: Finep, INPI and BNDES; ACATE - Catarinense Association of Technology Companies; ASSESPRO - Association of Brazilian Information Technology Companies; BRASSCOM - Brazilian Association of Information and Communication Technology Companies; FENAINFO - National Federation of Computer Companies, and SOFTEX - Association for the Promotion of Brazilian Software Excellence.
The event was followed by the Seminar "Brazil 2022 - Independence (Digital) or Death (Competitive)?, in which a study was presented that lists priority and suggested public policies for Brazil to achieve its "Digital Independence" as early as 2022, the year that marks the 200th anniversary of Brazil's Independence. Made according to the election year, the document was prepared by Think Tank Brasil 2022, composed of some of the most influential names in the IT sector.
As a result of this situation, all presidential candidates were invited to present their plans in the area of digital transformation and received a copy of the study as suggestions from the IT sector for the social and economic development of the country. The seminar was attended by Henrique Meirelles (MDB), João Amoêdo (Novo), José Maria Eymael (DC) and Kátia Abreu (PDT - vice-president of Ciro Gomes).
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