Brazilian Academy of Sciences proposes 2% of GDP for research and innovation

The Academia Brasileira de Ciências (ABC) released a policy document titled “O Futuro Não Pode Esperar: Ciência, Educação, Inovação e Soberania para um Projeto Nacional de Desenvolvimento.” The report calls for Brazil to raise public spending on research and development to 2 % of gross domestic product, creating a stable funding base for universities, research institutes and innovative firms.

It also recommends expanding technical and professional education so that roughly half of high‑school students are enrolled in such programmes by 2035, including the creation of a network of state‑run technical colleges. The plan calls for new centres focused on strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, bioeconomy, digital health, precision agriculture, advanced materials and energy transition, as well as a national policy to develop critical and strategic minerals.

The proposals aim to shift science and innovation from short‑term government projects to permanent state policies, strengthening Brazil’s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy.