Minister stands up for science and innovation in partnership with private sector

The minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Aldo Rebelo, deems the government's entrepreneurial role key in the development of infrastructure in Brazil's top industrial sectors. He argues, however, that “innovation can't happen without the private sector.”

“There's still somewhat of an idea that public universities are a haven for pure science, and should therefore not be contaminated by the market; but this is changing, and the National Code of Science, Technology and Innovation may come in handy in the process,” said Rebelo, in an interview with Agência Brasil.

The minister highlighted strategies like tax breaks, aimed at encouraging companies to invest in innovation and in the creation of technological complexes, thus enabling such areas as space, chemistry, and nuclear energy to expand and stimulate the growth of other sectors of the economy.

“When the State gives up a small part of taxes to allow companies to invest in innovation, their progress makes revenue and tax collection much higher than what the taxes would have amounted to, not to mention the new jobs in cutting-edge technology,” he argued.

In his view, the Brazilian government has already grasped the importance of science and technology, as made visible, for instance, by the recent incorporation of strategic projects from his ministry into the budget of the Accelerated Growth Program (PAC).

Find the main excerpts of the interview below:

Agência Brasil: The inclusion of the projects for the Sirius particle accelerator and the multipurpose reactor under the PAC, estimated to cost some $890 million, shows us that the government is using science as the base for development—is that right?

Aldo Rebelo: I believe that Brazil understood the urgency and the priority that must be ascribed to science, technology, and innovation, when it devised the sector's strategic project. What we're doing now is following up on that decision. There wasn't any initiative from our ministry in the PAC, which is not understandable. The growth and the competitiveness of global economies have come to rely more and more heavily on their ability to innovate. That Brazil did not have any infrastructure program in the sector is a contradiction.

Sirius and the multipurpose reactor are tools used in research for the creation of industrial technology, material testing, industrial processes and products, among other purposes. In order for us to advance in these areas, we must rely on the accelerator and the reactor. Now we have them—and they're state of the art. We're arousing the curiosity and interest of countries like the US, where top researchers have expressed their interest in watching the creation and development of the Sirius project in Brazil.

Agência Brasil: Early this week, the agreement that had been forged between Brazil and Ukraine for the construction of a rocket launch vehicle was officially broken. Will this keep Brazil away from being able to build its own launcher?

Aldo Rebelo: The deal with Ukraine was a merely commercial one. On one side, Brazil has a launch base near the Equator, which reduces launching costs. Everyone's interested in using that base. On the other is Ukraine, a country with rocket technology. They would build the rocket and look for whoever's interested in putting satellites in orbit. The enterprise would be profitable for both Brazil and Ukraine, and financed by the country interested in launching the satellite.

Agência Brasil: What reasons lie behind this disruption?

Aldo Rebelo: The intention of both countries while entering the promising base, rocket, and satellite leasing market was questioned due to the price [of the enterprise]. The cost of the Ukrainian rocket lost its commercial profitability. A study conducted last year by the ministries of Science, Technology, and Innovation; Defense; and Foreign Relations revealed that, by unanimity, the agreement was commercially unviable.

The investment was very high indeed, and no technology was to be exchanged. The rocket would be totally built there, then brought over to Brazil, where it would be attached and launched.

We also tried [a deal]. We proposed that Ukraine make the rocket on its own, using our base. But we didn't feel like going any further, because we wouldn't have any profit, and we would have to afford the construction of the rocket so that we could launch it ourselves. Brazil has a number of agreements in the space area. Thus far, we've launched four satellites with China, and we're currently building one with France. With Germany, we're putting together a mini-rocket capable of launching small rockets. We're trying to reestablish a safeguard agreement for launches with the US. We also have technical assistance deals for the construction of a launch vehicle with the Russians. This is the rule, everyone signs deals with everyone, because everyone can work together and make money.

Agência Brasil: Where does Brazil fit in this market?

Aldo Rebelo: Brazil has two goals. One of them is to have its space mission completed, that is, being capable of launching a satellite designed and manufactured by Brazil, with our own domestic rocket and launch base. The other is lending our base to a rocket from one country and the satellite from another, and have them pay for it. Another type of agreement consists of Brazil having its own satellite, another country providing the rocket, and the launch being carried out by us here. This is all possible through safeguard agreements, which are trade deals, no transference of technology included.

Agência Brasil: What does Brazil need in order to have a full space mission?

Aldo Rebelo: We have satellites with the Chinese and the French. What we don't have yet is our launch vehicle. The small-sized launch vehicle is under construction with Germany and is expected to be ready by 2018. The medium-sized one is the one that [was built by us] and exploded in 2004 in an accident at the Alcântara base. But we made a cooperation agreement with the Russians and now we have the technology to develop the medium-sized vehicle, all we need is resources and the time, and one should bear in mind that, in this area, everything gets upgraded really quickly. Fuel capacity, the weight of the materials, everything's improved year after year, and those who fail to catch up lose competitiveness. Research must be ongoing.

Agência Brasil: What role does the private sector play in the country's innovation performance?

Aldo Rebelo: Innovation can't happen without the private sector. Innovation is always aimed at a target, be it economic or social—the rest is just science. If the Butantan Institute [a biomedical research center in São Paulo] develops a vaccine, for instance, it brings with it social benefit. Nor can there be a space project without a space industry. It can't be done without public funding, so the government must create and lead the industry. Apart from the tax collection and the generation of jobs in cutting-edge technology, studies may be beneficial for a variety of industrial, civil, and medical purposes. A wide range of enhancements and products may come as a result of space and nuclear research. The government takes the lead, and companies participate.

Agência Brasil: Over the last years, we've had a large number of tax breaks in an attempt to boost the sales of goods, but very little for innovation. Is this going to change?

Aldo Rebelo: It is changing. The government has worked in this direction, with such incentives as the Lei do Bem [tax benefits for research on technological innovation], the Inova Empresas [an initiative of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) to support innovation projects in strategic sectors], the Inovar Auto [a federal government program designed to increase the competitiveness of Brazil's automotive sector]. This has served as encouragement for a lot of companies. Tax cuts amount to 10 to 15%, and the rest is up to the companies. When encouraged, companies do their job. The creation of technological complexes is another crucial undertaking. They provide the favorable conditions for a high-technology economy by bringing together companies, incubators, start-ups, and skilled labor.

Agência Brasil: Companies have also suffered from the crisis. Are they stepping back from all these plans?

Aldo Rebelo: On the contrary. I've seen investment in this sector wherever my visits have taken me. Companies are aware they need to look into the future.

Agência Brasil: As for cutting-edge professional training, what's the current state of the budget for research scholarships in the country?

Aldo Rebelo: We're recovering the budget of our ministry, especially that of the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, bearing in mind the current budget constraints.

Agência Brasil: What is your view about the first results of the Science Without Borders program [which aims to promote Brazilian science and technology overseas through scholarships granted to exchange students]? Has the program succeeded in forming a scientific elite in Brazil?

Aldo Rebelo: That doesn't happen overnight. We must wait for scholarship holders to return, especially doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, who have the conditions to build some sort of vanguard and push the country's research efforts further forward.

Agência Brasil: Has the Mathematical Olympiad changed the number of people interested in mathematics in the country? Will the competition, for instance, raise the number of engineers in the country?

Aldo Rebelo: It has brought about a few changes. You can already see the results in figures and cases that have been publicized. More than a competition, [the Olympiad has deepened] people's appreciation for the teaching and learning of mathematics. [The initiative has also] made it possible for institutions like the National Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics [IMPA] and public universities to have access to neglected or forgotten talents in the schools. The Olympiad makes discovering those talents possible. The institute gives scholarships to the 6 thousand best contestants. Some 99.9 percent of Brazilian municipalities take part in the competition.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira