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Brazil next biotech trailblazer in Latin America?

Nature Biotechnology volume 24, page 1184 (2006)Cite this article

Although the Innovation Law was passed in December 2004, its regulating decree was only created in October 2005. In addition, the so-called “Lei do Bem”—known as “The Law of Good” because it was meant for the good of business— was voted in November 2005, but its regulating decree made it enforceable as of June 2006. The new legislation has been discussed since 2001, in the end of the term of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The government of incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took its time debating the initiative. President Lula's own left-wing Partido dos Trabalhadores (Worker's Party) was at first hostile to anything related to private enterprise and science and technology. But a pragmatic view has taken over and the new legislation was approved after some delay. “The delay was not good, it led to no significant improvement,” says Hugo Borelli, president of the National Association for Research, Development and Engineering of Innovative Companies.

These new laws have three main components: first, incentives to encourage partnerships between universities, research institutes and private companies; second, incentives to stimulate innovation at universities and research institutes; and third, incentives to foster more innovation among private companies. “Those changes were very good, in a general way. We are now close to what developed countries do,” says Borelli.

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  1. Neto, São Paulo

    Ricardo Bonalume

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  1. Ricardo Bonalume
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Bonalume, R. Brazil next biotech trailblazer in Latin America?. Nat Biotechnol 24, 1184 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1006-1184

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