Aiming to accelerate Brazilian competitiveness in the face of new technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to strengthen the country's position on the world stage, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), through the Secretariat of Science and Technology for Digital Transformation (Setad), announces the second edition of the IA Program2 MCTI, an initiative carried out by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) with operational management from Softex, with resources from National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT).
But, unlike its previous edition focused on accelerating startups with innovative solutions based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), this time the Program turns its attention to the importance of boosting research and innovation across the country. Thus, over the next 24 months, 35 impact research projects that make use of AI and carried out in 14 different states will undergo a technological acceleration process. They will receive up to R$ 30 million in FNDCT resources through CNPq.
They are divided into six segments: Health, Agribusiness, Corporate Management, Finance, IT and Telecom; Energy and Seismology, Security, Defense and Logistics and Transport; and Education. Solutions range from the development of products that reduce the likelihood of breast and lung cancer recurrence to individual recognition of cattle and pigs through image capture with the support of convolutional neural networks and AI.
“We are forming a diverse network of talents and knowledge. This program stands out for its collaboration between Scientific, Technological and Innovation Institutions (ICTs) and startups, highlighting a synergy between academia and the productive sector. The selection of participating projects was meticulously carried out by CNPq, ensuring the quality and relevance of the chosen initiatives and representing a commitment to the decentralization of technological development, ensuring that different parts of the country can contribute to innovation in AI”, explains Hamilton Mendes, director of Incentives for Digital Technologies at MCTI.
Projects participating in the IA² Program will receive consultancy for the construction of their technological roadmap; will participate in events, lectures and workshops and present their solutions to potential partners and investors during the AI Forum, to be held at Softex Experience in the second half of this year.
“We want to not only strengthen technology-based entrepreneurship, but also promote research and development in AI and facilitate the transfer of technology to the market, encouraging innovation and business competitiveness. By strengthening research infrastructure, fostering collaboration between academia and industry and promoting technological entrepreneurship, Brazil is paving the way to become a global leader in AI-based innovation”, highlights Diônes Lima, executive vice president of Softex.
The first edition of the I IA² MCTI Program was carried out between 2020 and 2021, in the middle of the pandemic. It brought together 100 startups from all regions of the country and received around R$ 5.6 million in private investment.
For more information about the IA² MCTI Program click on here
EN 
PT 
