The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) launched, in August 2012, the Strategic Software and IT Services Program, which became known as IT Major, with the purpose of promoting the software and services industry in the area of information technology (IT).
With investments of approximately R$ 500 million for the period 2012-2015, TI Maior is structured around five pillars: economic and social development, international positioning, innovation and entrepreneurship, scientific and technological production and innovation, and competitiveness. The resources will be subsidized through the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep/MCTI) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/MCTI).
TI Maior foresees actions, such as: acceleration of technology-based companies, the consolidation of digital ecosystems; preference in government purchases for software with national technology; training young people to work in the IT area and attracting global research centers.
“We want software production to grow in Brazil at a very high rate and for this growth to represent currency for the country, income generation for companies and the creation of qualified jobs for Brazilians. Brazilian software must stand up to that produced abroad”, said the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marco Antonio Raupp.
ABES (Brazilian Association of Software Companies) supports the proposal of a new sectoral policy with the objective of developing national software, which could represent the beginning of a process of repositioning and changes in Federal Government guidelines for the sector.
“The launch of the TI Maior Plan can rescue the strategic importance of the software sector for Brazil and the need to change the role of the State in promoting innovation. In addition to strengthening an industry that is crucial for gains in productivity and competitiveness in all segments of the economy, in the quality of public administration and life and services for people”, declared Gérson Schmitt, president of ABES.
MCTI's IT Policy Secretary, Virgilio Almeida, highlighted that one of the program's biggest challenges will be reducing the scientific and technological gap that separates Brazil from the most developed nations. “The IT sector already has 73 thousand companies in Brazil and earned US$ 37 billion in 2011 alone, in other words, our industry is qualified. TI Maior arrives to encourage this field of innovation, accelerating the country’s other economic sectors”, highlighted Virgilio.
Promotion
One of the main drivers of the TI Maior Program will be the promotion of start-ups, research and development accelerators in the area of software and services. Start-ups will be structured in a network of mentors and investors, through technological consultancies, research institutes and incubators, partnerships with universities, coordination with large national and international companies, in addition to market access and public procurement programs.
Following the announcement of the TI Maior plan, ABES and other entities in the software sector will begin studying the new sectoral policy proposed by the Government, seeking to contribute with suggestions, experiences and instruments that can effectively transform national software and Brazil into the main benefited from this new strategic positioning and perception of the sector as a competitive advantage for the country.
Strategic sectors
To integrate research centers in different areas of knowledge, TI Maior defined twelve strategic sectors for the development of software and solutions of high complexity and economic and social impact: education, cyber defense and security, health, oil and gas, energy, aerospace/aeronautics, major sporting events, agriculture and environment, finance, telecommunications, mining and strategic technologies (cloud computing, internet, digital games, high performance computing and free software).
In all cases, TI Maior will encourage the design of projects in public and private research institutes, as well as the formation of academic and business networks around the ecosystems created.
Diagnosis
With the aim of stimulating job creation and professional qualification, MCTI – in partnership with the MEC and business associations – drew up a diagnosis of the market for IT professionals in Brazil, which culminated in “Brasil Mais TI Educação”.
The focus is to build a large digital relationship platform with students and professionals in the IT sector, offering job intermediation, basic and advanced courses, generation of professional information, offering free courses for communities and students, as well as technological updating and monitoring of government programs to support the initiative, such as Pronatec.
The goal is to train 50 thousand new professionals by 2014. By 2022, the objective is to train the necessary 900 thousand new professionals, who will be added to the current base of 1.2 million IT professionals.
IT Major integrated with other public policies
TI Maior is integrated into the National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (Encti) 2012-2015, which foresees the elaboration of a specific program to stimulate the development of the software and IT sector. It is also linked to other public policies of the Federal Government, such as the National Defense Strategy (END), the Growth Acceleration Plan 2 (PAC2), the Education Development Plan (PDE), the Brasil Mais Saúde Program, the Plan Brasil Maior, the Agricultural and Livestock Plan (PAP), in addition to Special Regimes, such as the National Broadband Plan (PNBL), the Support Program for the Development of the Semiconductor and Display Industry (Padis) and Digital TV (PATVD).
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