1. Home
  2. / Industry
  3. / Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), through the Federal Government, launches the InovaNiobio Program to invest in the application of niobium in industry and in high-tech products
reading time 4 min read

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), through the Federal Government, launches the InovaNiobio Program to invest in the application of niobium in industry and in high-tech products

Written by Ruth Rodrigues
Published 27/06/2022 às 19:00
With a variety of uses in national industry, niobium is the main focus of the new MCTI initiative, the InovaNiobio Program, which intends to invest in the application of the material in high-tech products and attract enterprises focused on this raw material.
Photo: Portal Gov.br/Reprodução

With a variety of uses in national industry, niobium is the main focus of the new MCTI initiative, the InovaNiobio Program, which intends to invest in the application of the material in high-tech products and attract enterprises focused on this raw material.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) recently launched the InovaNiobio Program, announced during the publication of the Official Gazette (DOU) last Friday (24/06). This is a project aimed at attracting investments in the production and exploration of niobium in Brazil, focusing on the application of the material in the national industry and, mainly, in high technology products, in addition to training researchers and companies focused on this raw material. 

InovaNiobio Program is MCTI's new bet to attract investment to the niobium market and expand the product's application in industry and high technology products

One of the main ores in the Brazilian territory and with several uses in industry, niobium now has federal incentives for its exploration and research in this sector, through the InovaNiobio Program, launched by the MCTI this week.

Thus, in addition to its use in industry, the project focuses on the use and applications of niobium in oxides, metals, alloys in materials and high technology products for the national and international market. 

To this end, the Federal Government, through the MCTI, intends to boost the niobium market in Brazil, opening the discussion on its relevance in the industry sector and bringing training to the country regarding applications focused on technology. This is because, as it is a transition metal, niobium can be used in the production of cars, building structures and bridges, airplane turbines, magnetic resonance imaging devices, pacemakers, space probes and various other products. 

Brazil is the world leader in the production and exploitation of the product, with around 90% of the world's share of ore production. In this way, MCTI intends to bring the InovaNiobio Program to promote research and studies focused on this material as a way to encourage its application in high technology products.

In addition to contributing to the development of the mineral sector, the program will also attract new job opportunities to the country, with the enterprises that will be installed in the national territory for the production of ore. 

Scientific research, technological innovation and entrepreneurship are some of the objectives of MCTI with the launch of the InovaNiobio Program in Brazil 

The MCTI seeks to invest in projects aimed at scientific and technological training in the national territory and it would not be different with the InovaNiobio Program. Thus, the initiative intends to stimulate the development and transfer of knowledge, new technologies and business models between research institutions and the public and private sectors. O target is that the industry and scientific research sectors can work together to make the niobium market even more profitable in Brazil. 

In addition, the government will also support people and companies that are developing research and projects focused on ore, as a way of promoting training in this segment. This is because, after the 1st Brazilian Niobium Fair, held last year in Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) and the Brazilian Company of Metallurgy and Mining signed a agreement to attract incentives for niobium in Brazil, as a way to expand the use of the material in high-tech products. 

Thus, the Federal Government intends to make Brazil even more relevant in the international market regarding the commercialization of niobium and its use in modern and technological products. In this way, research and incentives for science in the country will be able to grow in line with economic expansion over the next few years.

Be the first to react!
React to article
Ruth Rodrigues

Graduated in Biological Sciences from the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), she works as a writer and scientific disseminator.

Share across apps