Integration between innovation, sustainability, and diversity in the corporate world was advocated by leaders at the Brazil-Canada Summit 2024
By Silvia Pimentel
The 2nd edition of the Brazil-Canada Summit brought to light discussions on the importance of innovation management beyond just a technological perspective. Organized by the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (CCBC) in São Paulo, the event took place at the Pinheiro Neto Advogados office auditorium on October 23rd, gathering experts to share their experiences in this field. Responding to market demands, the event emphasized the importance of the intersection between innovation, diversity, and sustainability as a promising path for business longevity and societal transformation.
“There’s no longer room to create in an exploitative way without regard for the environment nowadays. Innovation must be collaborative, people-centered, fostering a safe environment for ideas, along with inspiring leadership,” highlighted Roberta Demange, a partner at Pinheiro Neto, in the opening of the Summit.
For Denise Delboni, university professor, lawyer, and post-doctorate in business administration, it is essential to address the main barriers to innovation in Brazilian companies, which place the country in the 49th position among the most innovative globally. “Many ideas are wasted along the way due to bureaucratic issues,” she said, referring to challenges related to patent registration with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
In Delboni’s view, innovation should be on the agenda for companies and the government to help the country achieve a better position in this ranking. “Innovation is a social process, requiring people from various sectors capable of turning ideas into reality to come together,” she noted.
The event’s first panel, “Structuring Processes to Open New Paths for Innovation,” featured executives from different sectors who shared insights on fostering an innovative corporate culture and how organizations can adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving world.
One of the panelists, Bruna Tedesco, Director of New Business and Innovation at Faber Castell Brazil, spoke about the significance of innovation for a 263-year-old company’s survival and its beloved brand image. “We are always concerned about the future, our next steps. The company wouldn’t be here today without an extremely innovative mindset in leadership to face market competition and a consumer increasingly focused on environmental issues,” she emphasized.
In addition to leadership engagement and support, Tedesco stressed the importance of diversity within innovation teams, as it enriches discussions and the creative process. “Having a diverse team with the freedom to speak up and propose different ideas is extremely important.”
This view was shared by Bruno Lucena, Test and Simulation Manager at CNH Industrial, who sees innovation as a continuous learning process. “I think it’s important to identify within companies those who are willing to learn and contribute to this process,” he highlighted.
Artificial Intelligence and Social Welfare
In the talk “From Academia to Action: Promoting Fair and Sustainable Decisions with Limited Resources,” Associate Professor Margarida Carvalho from the Department of Computer Science and Operational Research at the University of Montreal presented case studies in education, health, and sustainability, demonstrating how artificial intelligence methods and mathematical models have successfully solved complex problems.
During her presentation, she explained in detail how technology helped address issues such as student allocation in Canadian schools with limited space, CO2 emission reductions in Quebec through increased electric vehicle infrastructure, and prioritizing kidney patients for treatment and transplants.
“Innovation is crucial for decision-making. In all these projects, the collection, processing, and exploration of existing data were pivotal for defining responsible decisions, whether for students’ futures, electric vehicle adoption, or fairness in medical treatment,” she emphasized.
Investments, Projects, and Connections
In the event’s second and final panel, titled “Driving Innovation and New Idea Generation,” participants discussed how open innovation can transform companies, foster cross-sector collaboration, and expand international connections, such as those between Brazil and Canada through Klabin.
“Canada has a long-standing paper and pulp industry, and our sectors have much to share,” said Renata Freesz, Head of Projects and Innovation at Klabin, referring to a project with the University of Toronto centered on chemical studies. In her view, this exchange is crucial, as Brazil’s industry does not have as strong a relationship with academia and is often mistakenly perceived as outdated and disconnected from technology.
Speaking on innovation investments and future plans, Caio Moriani, Head of Corporate Venture Capital at Embraer, highlighted the company’s investment in four drone companies for military and cargo transport, an emerging market, and the company’s strategy to study these markets for resource allocation and future pathways.
Also present at the 2024 Summit were Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil, Emmanuel Kamarianakis; Brazil’s Ambassador to Canada, Carlos França; CCBC President and CEO Ronaldo Ramos; Rocketbase CEO and founder Jorge Zwingel, who also serves as CGO at Moonshot Robots; and Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada.
