A new phase began for four Brazilian startups this Thursday, 15, after the signing of the acceleration contracts of the Corporate Innovation program, promoted by the Itaipu Technology Park (PTI-BR), The Araucária Foundation and Sebrae-PR. Each project will receive up to one hundred thousand reais to invest in the development of technological solutions focused on “measures to combat the economic effects of COVID-19”, one of the lines provided for in the program announcement
In all, 15 entrepreneurs from three states – Paraná, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro – participated in the corporate innovation announcement, with proposals aimed at helping the resumption of economic growth due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the actions of PTI in the program Acelera Foz.
AIS-virtual environments, B2B Hotel, a EVAH.io and quality Educação Médica were the companies selected by a specialized bank – composed of entrepreneurs, appraisers, investors and representatives of partner institutions – among the solutions presented during the virtual Demoday, held in August.
One of the directors of AIS virtual environments, Yuri Sefrin, represented the companies that will be accelerated. Photo: Kiko Sierich/PTI
From the signing of the contracts, the Accelerated Companies will receive the first installment of the investments to, in a period of 12 months, put into practice their projects, counting on the support and mentoring of the entire ecosystem of the Technological Park and the Araucária Foundation.
The superintendent director of the PTI, General Eduardo Garrido, highlighted that this is the third significant delivery of the technology park within the initiatives of the program Acelera Foz, together with the program integration University Enterprise and the challenge Inova Oeste, seeking to diversify the economy of the municipality through the encouragement of entrepreneurship and innovation.
“We have the opportunity to invest resources in technological and innovative solutions and, with this, we solve problems, increase the economy of the city and generate jobs. All this has to do with the open innovation program that PTI wants to develop within our ecosystem,” Garrido emphasized.
The director of Science, Technology and innovation of the Araucária Foundation, Luiz Márcio Spinosa, highlighted the important approach led by PTI when creating an open incubation agenda. “In addition to an environment promoting innovation in which the dynamics of the quadrupole propeller takes place. This joint effort can only result in fruits of socio-economic and human development with the creation of wealth and well-being.”
The Corporate Innovation Program is part of the Araucária Foundation’s effort to strengthen innovation ecosystems, with the implementation of the new research and innovation arrangements (NAPIs).
The president of the Araucária Foundation, Ramiro Wahrhaftig, cited the importance of institutions such as Itaipu Binacional and PTI, cooperatives, the Biopark in Toledo and the strength of universities for the advancement in the area of technology and innovation in the Western Region of the state.
“We have a great hub of innovation and infrastructure and logistics that contributes to the development of Brazil, especially in the Western Region, and Paraguay. The very strong presence of universities is a great differential in the formation of people who are the great asset in the creation of wealth and who are changing the face of the state”, said Ramiro.
The signing ceremony of the contracts was carried out in a hybrid way: authorities were divided between the face-to-face and the virtual. Photo: Kiko Sierich/PTI
For PTI’s director of business and innovation, Rodrigo Régis, one of the great challenges of an innovation ecosystem is”how to take an idea from paper to turn it into a product”.
“Line 01 of the Corporate Innovation Program encourages people to put their ideas into practice and develop them into a product. Line 02, for those companies that already have a product, but need traction for growth. Together, it makes investments optimized and reduces the risks of failure”, explained Régis.
Also participating in the ceremony were the West Regional Manager of Sebrae-PR, Augusto Cesar Stein, the president of the economic and Social Council of Foz do Iguaçu (Codefoz), Mario Camargo, and one of the Directors of AIS virtual environments, Yuri Sefrin, representing the companies that will be accelerated.
