The future of Brazilian industry in the face of technological advances has just been outlined in a study developed by researchers from Unicamp and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), at the request of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL) . The initiative, called Industry 2027 Project, evaluated the impacts of eight disruptive technologies on ten production systems, over a five- and ten-year horizon. In addition to revealing this horizon, the document provides recommendations for companies to increase their competitiveness based on the advantages provided by innovation. “This project is a good example of how the rapprochement between academia and the productive sector can generate results that contribute to the country’s development”, assesses professor Mariano Laplane, head of the Executive Directorate of International Relations (Deri) and coordinator of the study within the scope of Unicamp.
The details of the Industry 2027 Project, which was developed over 14 months and had the general coordination of the former president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and retired collaborating professor at the Institute of Economics (IE) at Unicamp , Luciano Coutinho, were released this Thursday (24) by the CNI. In general terms, the document, created by the efforts of 75 researchers, considers that the industrial sector will face important challenges ahead, but will also have good opportunities for growth in the period analyzed. “Brazil can and should think about building the future of the industry with ambition, in addition to having a long-term vision”, understands Luciano Coutinho. “Investing in the training of people and companies, in addition to actions through programs and instruments coordinated, monitored and tuned to companies are some of the directions for us to move forward”, he adds.
A director of Innovation at CNI and national superintendent of IEL, Gianna Sagazio, praises the work carried out by Unicamp and UFRJ and highlights the importance of the study to guide companies' strategic planning. “The Industry 2027 Project designed a hitherto unknown scenario for Brazilian industry. Disruption is underway, changing business models, the way of producing, the products produced. It is a new weight, with growing influence, on the competitiveness of companies and, consequently, of countries. That is why this initiative by CNI and IEL is so important. It is a valuable contribution to the design of national and corporate strategies to direct us towards development”.
Still according to the executive, building this perspective and evaluating Brazil's response capacity “was only possible because we had two of the best universities in the country - UFRJ and Unicamp - in the project, in addition to the engagement of business leaders from the Business Mobilization for Innovation (MEI). The project sought, and succeeded, in bringing industry and academia together to understand the digital transformation we are going through.”
Mariano Laplane explains that the study brought together two groups of researchers from the two universities: one specialized in research and innovation and the other in industrial sectors. The first analyzed which technologies will bring significant impacts to the industry over the next decade. The latter made an assessment of the current stage of production and the capacity of the segments to incorporate disruptive technologies. “Then, we cross-checked the assessments. To reach the conclusions contained in the study, we also promoted several rounds of discussion, interviewed hundreds of businesspeople and consulted experts from abroad, through partnerships with the University of Cambridge and the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] in Paris ”, he details.
According to the coordinator of the Industry 2027 Project at Unicamp, the message that emerged from this research effort was that both domestically and internationally, new technologies will have a great impact on industrial development. “However, according to experts, the incorporation of innovation by companies will not occur naturally. There are a series of obstacles to be overcome, both inside and outside corporations. Within companies, there is the issue, for example, of adapting production to new technologies. Within society, there are fundamental issues to be discussed, such as cybersecurity and the privacy of citizens in the digital world”, he ponders.
The scenario designed by the study, reaffirms Mariano Laplane, opens up countless opportunities for Brazilian industry, but it is necessary to know how to take advantage of them. “We have to be prepared, as these opportunities will be quickly captured. Otherwise, we will have to pay royalties for the use of certain technologies. It is never too much to remember that Brazil has very positive attributes, such as biodiversity, climate, a still young population and a huge domestic market. We have the conditions to be original, to be creative. We do not have the capacity to lead this process, as we are facing an important moment of political and economic fragility, but we can participate in the game”, points out the professor.
A good way to employ new technologies, says Mariano Laplane, is to apply them to improving the quality of life of Brazilians, through the qualification of sectors such as education, health, security and transport. “Obviously, society will have to participate in this process and express its desire. The government, in turn, will have to act and include these issues on its agenda. It never hurts to remember that the world went through three industrial revolutions. These not only transformed the modes of production, but also changed behaviors and ways of life”, he concludes.
Innovate to compete
In Brazil, according to the Industry 2027 Project, the industrial sectors of capital goods, agroindustry and automotive are those that are most committed to the dominance of 4.0 technologies for business competitiveness by 2027. The field research was carried out with 753 companies from ten sectors industrial: aerospace, agro-industries, automotive, capital goods, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, basic inputs, oil and gas, chemistry and information and communication technologies. Of those interviewed, 65% said that advanced technologies - artificial intelligence, internet of things, nanotechnology, new materials, biotechnology, connected production, among others - will have a high or very high impact on the future of the industry in the next decade.
However, for some sectors, the impact will be greater. For 71% of capital goods representatives, innovation will have a high or very high influence on the sector's performance. In the agroindustry, 70% of representatives believe this and in the automotive industry, 68% think the same. According to the document, if expectations are realized, the transformations in the industry will take place mainly in the productivity and competitiveness of the Brazilian product. “Companies will be more efficient and productive and capable of providing up-to-date goods and services suited to consumer demands; value chains will have advanced technological intensity; companies will be competing for markets in a competitive environment where their competitors also have a high technological level”, states the study.
Based on the responses and analysis of the influence of disruptive innovations on Brazilian industrial sectors, the Industry 2027 Project identified five axes to encourage the country to move towards digitalization. They are: prioritization of the topic at the highest level of government; investment in training people and companies; modernization of the State, in addition to regulations and pro-innovation promotion mechanisms; definition of differentiated strategies and implementation of coordinated programs and instruments.
Among the highlights in human resources is the investment in training people and companies, which includes including the teaching of digital technologies at all levels of education and strengthening networks of incubators and accelerators. Another recommendation concerns the need to modernize and digitalize the State to reduce costs, increase transparency and improve government services.
Fundamental to technological progress, the availability of resources is seen as strategic by experts, who recommend the decompression of federal resources for science, innovation and technology, as well as the improvement of existing instruments, such as the Lei do Bem, which could allow the hiring of research and development external to companies, as well as incentives for investments in startups.
The document also guides the definition of differentiated corporate strategies, according to company development stages. It is also recommended to implement actions through coordinated programs and instruments, tuned to the needs of companies and monitoring results. The report also highlights the role of State regulations and purchasing power as a driver of technological development, but reinforces that the diffusion and use of digital technologies largely depend on the engagement of the private sector.
