Paraná is the most sustainable and innovative state in Brazil
Technology and Innovation
Bright Cities 2023
Curitiba is the smartest city in the world.
The state capital stood out among global competitors and won the World Smart City Awards 2023.
Paraná ranks as the 4th state with the highest number of technology companies.
There are 27,000 companies, representing 6.4% of the national technology sector.
2nd highest state investment in Research and Development (R&D)
According to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI).
98.5% of Information Technology companies in Brazil originated in Paraná,
while 0.5% are from Santa Catarina. Mato Grosso, Piauí, and Rio Grande do Sul each account for 0.3%.
5th largest technology sector revenue in the country:
US$ 3.5 billion
(Data from the 2021 Tech Report by Acate).
Curitiba hosts several renowned research institutes.
World-class laboratories, such as Lactec, and initiatives like the Curitiba Technopark fazem dessa make this region a strategic hub for investors.
1,956 startups throughout the state.
Innovation through startups is a consistent process across Paraná, with startups in 108 municipalities. Higher Education Institutions and Innovation Habitats promote and support the development of new business models, positioning Paraná as a reference in the sector.
De acordo com o Inova Hub 2023
More than 1,400 technology-oriented startups
(Research by Sebrae PR, 2022).
Three of the 21 Brazilian “unicorn” startups are from Curitiba:
Ebanx, MadeiraMadeira, and Olist—tech companies from Curitiba valued at over US$1 billion.
188 innovation environments accredited by the State Technological Park System of Paraná (Separtec).
These environments are located in 42 cities in Paraná, with the majority in Curitiba, Londrina (20), Maringá (16), and Guarapuava (11).
In the Separtec accreditation, innovation environments are categorized into: accelerators, innovation agencies, innovation centers, maker spaces, innovation hubs, incubators, pre-incubators, and technological parks in operation, under development, or in the planning stage.
Aporte de R$3 milhões para o desenvolvimento do Projeto Genomas Paraná
A iniciativa pretende identificar marcadores de predisposição genética e metabólica da população paranaense, a partir de técnicas de inteligência artificial e ciência de dados. O aporte se deu via Secretaria de Estado da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior do Paraná (Seti).
O objetivo é descrever fatores de risco de doenças cardíacas, derrames, diabetes e comorbidades associadas, com a finalidade de embasar estratégias de Medicina Preventiva. O estudo é conduzido pelas universidades estaduais do Centro-Oeste (Unicentro) e de Ponta Grossa (UEPG) e pela Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR).
40 Ecosystems of Innovation
Spread across the entire state, these ecosystems provide a collaborative environment for companies, entrepreneurs, and agents to work together harmoniously.
Technological Parks in Paraná
The state has 18 technological park initiatives in various stages of development (According to Inova Hub 2023).
Vale dos Trilhos
An innovation ecosystem in the Campos Gerais region. The initiative, launched in 2021, aims to create a conducive environment for innovation, promoting the development of a smart city with a creative and innovative spirit for sustainable development.
The name Vale dos Trilhos (Valley of Rails) comes from the region’s history, as railways were crucial for the emergence and growth of municipalities, becoming an iconic identity feature of Campos Gerais and the city of Ponta Grossa, where the ecosystem is headquartered.
The collaboration between actors in Vale dos Trilhos opens doors for new ideas, transforming them into opportunities and innovative businesses, creating a virtuous cycle of sustainable development.
De acordo com o Inova Hub 2023
AgroValley
Through AgroValley, people, companies, and entities in the Londrina region are encouraged and integrated to promote agricultural innovation.
The main objective is to transform the region into an international hub of economic value generation by 2030. AgroValley fosters innovation through strategic management and mapping of the agrobusiness sector in Londrina and surrounding areas.
The ecosystem consists of industries, cooperatives, innovation hubs, laboratories, companies, and startups.
Sistema Regional de Inovação (SRI) Sudoeste
O SRI Sudoeste é impulsionado por Pato Branco, cidade que se destaca em inovação, com 23% do seu PIB oriundo da área de tecnologia.
Também fazem parte do SRI os municípios de Francisco Beltrão, Dois Vizinhos, Palmas e Realeza. Outros 42 municípios da região deverão ser integrados pelo Sistema, que está em processo de ampliação.
O Parque Tecnológico de Pato Branco, criado em 2013, é uma estrutura voltada à pesquisa, extensão e incubação de empresas de base tecnológica. O espaço tem capacidade para abrigar sessenta empresas incubadas, além de cinco laboratórios de certificação e de pesquisa, além de empresas consolidadas que desenvolvem pesquisas e novos produtos de base tecnológica. Entre as incubadas no Parque, estão empresas voltadas à eficiência energética com etanol, inspeção e monitoramento com veículos aéreos não-tripulados (drones), robótica, eletroeletrônica e ensino de astronomia.
Vale do Genoma
An innovation ecosystem focused on genetic research and artificial intelligence applied to healthcare. The initiative, based in Guarapuava, aims to establish a hub of startups in the genomic sector, encompassing the environment and agriculture.
As a pioneer in Brazil, Vale do Genoma integrates government, universities, companies, and civil society to strengthen partnerships and expand genetic research.
US$520,000 investment for the development of the Projeto Genomas Paraná.
The initiative aims to identify genetic and metabolic predisposition markers in Paraná’s population using AI and data science. The investment came from the State Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Higher Education (Seti).
The goal is to identify risk factors for heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and associated comorbidities to support preventive medicine strategies. The research is led by the Midwest State University (Unicentro), Ponta Grossa State University (UEPG), and the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR).
Levantamento feito pelo Sebrae PR em 2022
Iguassu Valley
Iguassu Valley operates through regional governance, promoting the innovation ecosystem in Western Paraná. Support institutions, large companies, startups, educational and research institutions, and innovation habitats collaborate to stimulate, connect, and monitor innovation, making the region a global benchmark.
The ecosystem includes 9 anchor companies, 324 startups, 21 innovation habitats, 10 promotion institutions, and 8 support institutions.
Vale do Pinhão
To promote economic development and improve the quality of life, Curitiba’s city hall, through the Curitiba Development Agency, created Vale do Pinhão.
Its goal is to strengthen and leverage the innovation environment through entrepreneurship, the creative economy, and technology, making Curitiba a smarter city.
Vale do Pinhão aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), involving city departments and stakeholders in innovation development, including universities, accelerators, investment funds, research and development centers, startups, and cultural and creative movements.