PPA launches a study with recommendations for R&D investment in the Amazon

The Brazilian Legal Amazon, formed by nine states in the north of Brazil, has the potential to boost the volume of Research & Development investments by 30%, bringing it up to US$100 million, according to a new study carried out Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA).

This could be achieved by tapping into the tax incentives offered to companies operating in the free-trade zone of Manaus. The new Technology Legislation, approved in June by the Brazilian Congress, makes it easier for companies in the Manaus industrial hub to invest in research and innovation. However, there are still barriers to attract additional R&D funding. The challenges include increasing the number of good quality, robust projects and the lack of information about resources available, according to experts and business people who attended the launch of the study “Paths to Sustainable Investment in the Amazon”, which took place at the Impact Hub, in Manaus.

“The study's main objective is to assist companies based in the Manaus Industrial Hub to invest part of the Manaus tax-free zone resources in entrepreneurship and start-ups focused on bio-economics and the sustainable use of the Amazon's natural resources,” explained Mariano Cenamo, Executive Coordinator of the PPA.

Programs aimed at building capacity to improve the quality of projects and help start-ups to be able to qualify for the funding available was pointed out as being one thing that could be done to close this gap. This study can be found on Idesam’s website (in Portuguese).