Platform maps and helps decipher Brazil’s innovation potential

By Roseli Andrion  |  FAPESP Innovative R&D – While pursuing his doctorate in economics at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, computer scientist Antonio Marcos Marcon faced a seemingly simple yet complex challenge: How can we determine where innovation is happening in Brazil?

The answer existed, but it was scattered across dozens of unintegrated government databases. It was like having the pieces of a puzzle scattered in different rooms of the same house. The need to organize this information led to the creation of Opensense, a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to transform open data into accurate snapshots of the innovation ecosystems of all 5,570 Brazilian municipalities.

The project began in 2020 at UNICAMP’s Science and Technology Policy Laboratory. Academic research led to the registration of a patent and attracted initial interest from the government sector. “We mine open data from the entire Brazilian public system, and using artificial intelligence, we recombine and connect the information,” explains Marcon, CEO of the startup.

In 2024, the company grew by 80%, and it projects to maintain that growth rate in 2025. Its clients include the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI); the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE); the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI); the University of São Paulo (USP); the State University of São Paulo (UNESP); UNICAMP; and large companies, such as Natura.

Since 2021, the startup has been incubated at the São José dos Campos Technology Park and has received support from FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program (PIPE). The company’s achievements have earned it awards such as the FIESP Acelera Startup 2022 award in the Smart Cities category, presented by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo, and the Destaque InovAtiva 2023 award in the Government Solutions category, presented by InovAtiva, an acceleration and mentoring hub with the participation of SEBRAE and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services.

Ecosystem sensor

The platform acts as a sensor for innovation ecosystems. It collects open data from ministries, such as those of Finance, Education, and Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as from agencies, including the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and federal and state development agencies.

Then, using AI, the tool interconnects this information based on official economic and scientific protocols. The result is a robust compilation that allows for improvements to public policies and competitive business analysis.

For example, Marcon shows the presence of remote municipalities on the platform, such as Pacaraima in Roraima, which is located on the border with Venezuela. This municipality has three startups, a lean government system, and some higher education courses but no registered patents. In São Paulo, the platform identifies thousands of environments, such as technology parks, incubators, and leading universities, revealing how these elements relate to each other.

“We’re able to offer dashboards with indicators by region, down to the level of companies’ CNPJ [Corporate Taxpayer ID], which allows competitiveness analyses for innovation managers,” Marcon explains.

Challenges and asymmetries

Brazil’s regional differences reveal a country seeking to establish itself as an innovation hub, yet facing structural challenges. According to the 2024 Global Innovation Index by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Brazil ranks 50th out of 133 economies, making it the leader in Latin America. “Opensense is a response to the urgent need to interconnect knowledge stocks and expand collaboration among researchers, companies, and managers,” Marcon says.

The INPI’s 2024 Brazil Innovation and Development Index reveals that the Southeast and South regions are hubs of national innovation, occupying seven of the top eight positions in the state ranking. According to Abstartups, Brazil’s ecosystem is home to more than 12,000 active startups and 54 innovation hubs. In 2024, the sector recorded approximately USD 2 billion in investment across 386 rounds, indicating a gradual recovery after years of decline.

Practical applications

The platform is already used by SEBRAE units in Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso to map local ecosystem maturity. Another relevant project is the mapping of the Brazilian Defense Industrial Base for the ABDI, which is scheduled to launch in 2026.

Additionally, the tool allows users to monitor the performance of specific sectors. Using the economy, geopatents, and geoscience radars, unusual data can be viewed, ranging from alligator breeding centers (which are concentrated in Minas Gerais, Alagoas, and Mato Grosso) to innovations in weaponry, such as an iris security device developed in Valença, Rio de Janeiro.

The technology also optimizes processes. According to Marcon, development time for new observatories can be reduced by over 70%. A project that would take a year to implement can now be completed in 60 days.

Democratic data and internationalization

The name Opensense reflects the purpose of the solution: “sense” for monitoring and “open” for the commitment to democratizing information. The technology is ready to operate internationally and follows protocols such as the European Union’s Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE) and the International Patent Classification (IPC).

“We’re evaluating routes for internationalization, especially in countries with a mature open data culture, such as Portugal, Spain, Estonia, and the United Kingdom. In Latin America, Uruguay and Chile are potential markets,” says the CEO.

For the researcher, Opensense fills a gap by integrating econometric and scientific analyses. “In a country of continental dimensions, having accurate information about each local ecosystem can be the difference between generic policies and surgical interventions, allowing managers and companies to position themselves with strategic clarity,” he says.