The City Hall of Fortaleza, through the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development, signed an agreement of intent with Microsoft on March 8. The initiative will provide access to cutting-edge technology for small entrepreneurs, in addition to offering training and stimulating innovation in the municipality. On the occasion will be present the head of SDE, Robinson de Castro, the director of public sector of Microsoft Brazil, Milton Larsen Burgese, as well as representatives of startups in the municipality.
Based on the agreement, Microsoft will offer basic information technology (IT) training content that can be part of the curriculum to be offered by municipal programs and provide free online IT training content. According to IDC, around 40% of Brazilian companies have difficulty finding qualified personnel to fill their vacancies, and in the country almost 18% of young people are unemployed.
“The intention is that from this agreement with one of the largest technology companies in the world, the municipality will establish a partnership to create a municipal program for startups in Fortaleza”, pointed out the head of SDE, Robinson de Castro. The IT services sector grows four times above the national GDP and is expected to lead the growth of this sector, with more than 1.2 million job opportunities in different regions of the country, according to IDC Brasil.
“At Microsoft, we have a long-term commitment to Brazil's development and competitiveness. Therefore, this partnership with the City Hall of Fortaleza is essential to expand entrepreneurial activity in the city. We will also contribute to the local ecosystem by offering our programs to support startups that cover various stages of a company's entrepreneurial journey”, says Milton Larsen Burgese, public sector director at Microsoft Brazil.
The agreement also provides for the possibility of joining the BizSpark Program to encourage entrepreneurship and the development of startups, which includes access to high-tech Microsoft software, technical support, business training and management and visibility for startups that fit in the program regulations, with a duration of three years. Access to the Windows Azure tool will also be offered, a cloud platform for creating and developing programs and services, facilitating the availability of startup products/services on the market.
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