The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) launched this Tuesday (16), in Rio de Janeiro, the Tecnova 2026/2027 Program. The initiative offers R$360 million for small companies in the country to develop innovative products, services and processes. The resources come from Finep and the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT). It is the fourth edition of the program, which this time plans to hire up to 713 companies with annual revenue of up to R$16 million. The total resources invested could reach R$588 million if state contributions are considered. Related news: Petrobras and Finep launch a notice for the development of an electrolyser. High-technology exports grow, but only account for 2.7% of the total. Initiatives try to make it easier for mothers to access and remain in science. The operationalization of this amount will be the responsibility of state agents such as the Research Support Foundations (FAPs) and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), among others. Interested parties have until August 3, 2026 to submit proposals through the Finep website. Once awarded, they will have up to 60 months to execute the project.  The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, launches the Tecnova 2026/2027 Program - Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, highlighted the national reach of the initiative. For the first time, the program covers all 27 units of the federation. "The Tecnova Program works to decentralize innovation to ensure that resources reach all regions of the country. Support for micro and small companies contributes to strengthening national technology and generating qualified jobs," said Luciana. The president of Finep, Luiz Antônio Elias, explained the cooperation model with the federative units. "We work together with state agents to operationalize the economic subsidy and modernize the productive sector in different regions. It is in the space between knowledge production and its incorporation into the economy and society that programs like Tecnova assume a significant and strategic role", highlighted Elias. The president of the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), Luiz Antônio Elias, during the launch of the Tecnova 2026/2027 Program - Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil Indicators and projects MCTI also announced the creation of the Data Scientists for Brazil project, a network to standardize state information on support for research and development ((R&D) in Brazil. The ministry also released national indicators of investments in R&D between 2014 and 2024. In this last year, R$166.4 billion were spent, considered contributions from the public and private sector. The growth was 18% compared to 2021, a period with lower resource input in recent years. Brazil invests around 1.23% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in R&D, 0.61% of which comes from the private sector and 0.62% from government sources. The percentage is below that of countries such as Israel (6.76%), South Korea (5.13%), Japan (3.62%), the United States (3.44%) and Germany (3.13%). When spending is separated by private and public sector, the MCTI highlights that Brazilian government values are very close to those observed in richer countries. The United States (0.66%), Israel (0.68%), France (0.72%), Russia (0.74%), Germany (0.93%) and South Korea (1.05%) are the leaders in this regard, just ahead of Brazil (0.62%).