INTRODUCTION

The 2007-2010 Action Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation for National Development sets out a broad range of initiatives, actions and programmes that make the role of Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) more important for sustainable development in Brazil.

The actions and programmes follow the guidelines of the National Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation, a policy that is led by the Ministry, the central body in the National System for Scientific and Technological Development.

The Plan follows the spirit of a maxim that should guide all governments: Science, Technology and Innovation are matters of state and as such should be seen as commitments that are transferred from one administration to the next.

To give shape to the document that brings together these initiatives, actions and programmes - involving not only federal-level public research institutions, but also those at state and municipal levels, as well as the private sector - the guiding principle was the idea that the country enjoys all the conditions necessary for creating an ambitious and realistic Development Plan in the area of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Several of the initiatives included in the Plan are aimed at encouraging businesses to incorporate research, development and innovation (RD&I) activities in their production processes.  The Ministry feels that more encouragement should be concentrated on cutting-edge areas - nanotechnology and biotechnology, for example - engineering and areas that are strategic for Brazil's development, such as space.

The Plan’s priorities are directly linked to the four strategic axes guiding the present national policy on STI:

• expanding, integrating, modernising and consolidating the National System for Science Technology and Innovation (Sistema Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia e Inovação - SNCTI), working in conjunction with state governments to broaden the nation's scientific and technological base;

• acting decisively to speed up the development of an environment favourable to innovation in business, and reinforcing the Productive Development Policy (Política de Desenvolvimento Produtivo - PDP);

• strengthening research and innovation activities in strategic areas related to national sovereignty, especially energy, aerospace, public safety, national defence and Amazonia, and

• working towards increasing the popularity of science teaching, bringing about greater access to the goods created by science, and spreading technologies to improve the living conditions of the population.

Today, after various setbacks, the situation we have is that Brazil is going through a phase of maturing among its scientific and technological communities and that the country is realising how fundamental it is to invest in innovation to make the most of economic growth.