Conference article

In this article, the strategic view leading to the creation of a convergence center for aerospace technologies in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, the business and operation plans, as well as the predicted impacts in the state´s economy are presented. Development and innovation are a result of a favorable ecosystem that nurtures the integration of technological creation, proof of concept and human resources. The transformation of new technologies in market products requires the close cooperation of R&D and academic institutions, tech companies and the market. This convergence of stake-holders is achieved by developing a common language and a sense of community, based on work and trust, built along the operation of a cycle, linking market demands to institutional offers, and multiplying the community efforts by cooperation. This is the ground, over which the SC2C.Aero, the Santa Catarina’s Center of Convergence for Aerospace Technologies, has been rooted. The center has been configured as a network of tech groups aiming at supporting fast connections and RD&I agreements. This article reviews the operational model that executes the center’s key activities, such as the management of national and international agreements, customer and partner relationships, international matchmaking events, and a database mapping demands, offers and funding sources. The results achieved so far demonstrate the large acceptance this model received from both industry and RD&I tech groups. These results have created visibility for the State of Santa Catarina and stimulated the expansion of the cooperation between Swedish and Brazilian institutions. Based on the center’s strategic planning, five milestones are foreseen to make Santa Catarina a top three destiny of investments from the aerospace sector in Brazil in the future.

technology networks, aeronautics, university-industry cooperation, convergence center