Embraer, MCTI and Finep celebrate agreement for sustainable aircraft technologies research

Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Embraer and the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep), which promotes Brazil's economic and social development through public funding for Science, Technology and Innovation, today celebrated an agreement for R$ 126,7 (USD$23 million) investment in sustainable aircraft technologies research. The announcement took place during the visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, to Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

Finep will use resources from non-reimbursable funding originating from the National Development, Scientific and Technological Funding (FNDCT) to support 50% of this research agreement and Embraer will support the other half of the investment.

Among the priorities are the development and validation of innovative and complex technologies, that will allow the design and production of aerodynamical and structural high-efficiency wings in composite material. Also included in the project’s scope is the study of the feasibility of technologies associated with autonomous systems focusing on safety and pilot workload reduction. The technological readiness of these two research fronts allows for the potential development of lighter and more efficient aircraft with lower emissions.

The innovation project has been approved through the “More Innovation Brazil”, the largest innovation support program in the history of the federal government, according to MCTI, which looks to the promotion of national reindustrialization, focusing on the priority missions by promoting the right to health and health security, digital transformation, energy transition, and national defense.

“Embraer is a company that invests in innovation to transform knowledge into high value-added industrial activity. It is also an example of the importance of the Brazilian Government in stimulating innovation and the development of the country. Here we have the result of what we can do when we combine Brazilian intelligence with public investment. And that is what we are celebrating,” said Minister Luciana Santos.

“The technological innovations generated by this project will pave the way for the Brazilian aerospace industry to have a greater global role. With the accumulation of achievements in research and development, we are prepared to accelerate the future of sustainable aviation.”, said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer.

“Embraer has historically been the company most supported by Finep and will continue to count on our resources to face the challenges of future aviation. Over 18 years, we have invested more than R$1 billion in resources for the development of projects that contribute to greater sustainability in aviation,” said Celso Pansera, President of Finep.

The long-standing partnership between Embraer and Finep began in 2006 and involved support for several direct projects or through affiliates, such as Visiona, for the development of a small Earth observation satellite.

The granting of economic subsidies for innovation in companies is a government policy instrument widely used in developed countries and operated according to the norms of the World Trade Organization. The objective is to promote a significant increase in innovation activities and increase the competitiveness of companies and the country's economy.