Finland and Germany Forge Partnerships with Brazil: Business Opportunities and Technological Trends Are the Focus of the Program

Immersion Program in Innovation Ecosystems Takes Executives and Brazilian Researchers to Discover Technological Trends and Business Opportunities and Partnerships with Technological Centers

Companies and executives interested in learning about new technological trends and seeking business and partnership opportunities in important innovation centers in Europe can register for the Immersion Program in Innovation Ecosystems, promoted by the Business Mobilization for Innovation (MEI), coordinated by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). The next in-person immersions will take place from October 4 to 7 in Germany, and from October 10 to 13 of the same month in Finland. Interested parties can register here and spots are limited.

The immersions will be carried out in partnership with the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), the Fraunhofer Institute – the most renowned applied research network in Europe –, Business Finland, and AHK (German Chamber of Commerce). Through this initiative, business leaders, government representatives, and academia will have the opportunity to closely observe the ecosystem of these countries and understand why both are references in education, entrepreneurship, innovation, and ESG, among other relevant topics for the sustainable development of economies.

“The program aims to create opportunities for business leaders to stay updated on the most relevant topics for the competitiveness of their businesses. We also encourage cooperation in research, development, and innovation (R&D), whether in Brazil or abroad,” emphasized CNI’s Innovation Director, Gianna Sagazio.

In Germany, Immersion Will Focus on the Green Economy

The immersion in Germany will focus on the green economy. Visits will include the main actors of the country’s innovation ecosystem, including research centers such as Fraunhofer IGB, Fraunhofer ICT, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The itinerary will feature visits to the innovation centers of Bosch and BASF, where participants will learn about innovative projects from these companies, including applications of green hydrogen, among other companies and government institutions.

Germany is the tenth most innovative country in the world according to the Global Innovation Index 2021, eighth in the Global Energy Innovation Index 2021, and also tenth in the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index 2021.

Connectivity, Quantum Computing, and Bioeconomy in the Finland Immersion

In Finland, participants will visit leading market companies and research centers dedicated to new bioproducts, sustainable energy solutions, 5G and 6G connectivity, autonomous machines, and quantum computing. In the immersion, participants will have the opportunity to learn about innovations and best practices in the country, which is a European leader in digital competitiveness and has the best business ecosystem in the world.

Like Germany, Finland is among the most innovative countries in the world, ranked seventh among 132 economies according to the Global Innovation Index 2021, first in the Global Energy Innovation Index 2021, and second in the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index 2021.

What You Find in an Immersion

More than 600 people have participated in the 25 immersions organized in various regions of Brazil and worldwide. The latest, held in June of this year, brought together a delegation of over 40 business leaders, company managers, and researchers in Israel.

The registration includes a conceptual alignment workshop, guided technical visits addressing the delegation’s topics of interest, a technical notebook with a detailed agenda, data on the places visited, and profiles of the hosts, land transportation during the technical visits, travel insurance for the group, as well as technical support and monitoring from the CNI team throughout the immersion. The immersion also offers simultaneous translation services and a digital participation certificate.

The immersions are marked by presentations of technologies on display and innovations being developed, along with the exchange of experiences among participants, speakers, and representatives from the visited places. Many of these visits result in business partnerships or even inspire managers and entrepreneurs with ideas to be implemented.