Text taken from CNI News Agency
The small, medium, and large companies that won the National Innovation Award 2015 were announced this Wednesday (13), at the event that concluded the first day of the 6th Brazilian Congress on Innovation in Industry, promoted by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae). They were among the 28 finalists selected from the 2,219 entries for this year's edition. The companies will share R$ 900,000 pre-approved in the SENAI SESI Innovation Notice, in addition to participating in an international technical mission and an executive education course at an internationally recognized business school.
The National Innovation Award has four divisions. In the Local Innovation Agent category, the winner in the industry category was Tecsistel, based in Rio Grande do Sul; for services, the award went to Central das Impressoras, a company from Alagoas; the chosen representative from commerce was Jera, which operates in Mato Grosso do Sul.
“Innovation is a word that is not spoken every day in a company because people think that innovation is a product that will change the world, that you need to be Steve Jobs (founder and former president of Apple). But that is not true. Innovation means being a little better than yesterday,” said Saulo Arruda, one of the partners at Jera, upon receiving the award, aimed at micro and small businesses served by Sebrae's Local Innovation Agents Program.
INNOVATION FOR GROWTH - In the Innovation Management category, which recognizes initiatives from companies of various sizes, the standout among small companies was Paiva Piovesan Softwares, from Minas Gerais. “We are an example that innovation does not depend on the size of the company and how it is fundamental for the growth and success of a business,” celebrated Rodrigo Paiva, one of the partners of the company. Among medium-sized companies, the highlight went to the gaucho Driblauto. Among large companies, the recognition for the most innovative initiative went to Ciser, a company from Santa Catarina.
Of the finalists in the Business Model Innovation category, Natura was the winner, having developed an online sales platform that allows customization of the sales space for consultants and also personalized service for clients. “Innovation helps us go beyond in our relationship with our consumers,” said Gerson Valença, Innovation Director at Natura.
Finally, in the Technological Innovation division, the companies from Paraná, Hi Tecnologies and Profilática Produtos Odonto Médico Hospitalares won, respectively, in the small and medium company categories. Votorantim Cimentos was chosen among the large finalist companies for developing an innovative method of producing cement and thus increasing the capacity to supply the material for large projects in remote locations.
The vice president of CNI and president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Amazonas (FIEAM), Antônio Carlos Silva, represented the industry at the ceremony and emphasized the role of the award in encouraging innovative practices in companies. “The National Innovation Award focuses on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of companies and encourages them to put good ideas into practice, to improve and innovate their processes and products,” he said. All companies that had their registrations validated by the judging committee received a report indicating improvements in the innovation process.
The technical director of Sebrae, Heloísa Menezes, reminded that innovation does not depend on the size of the business and that the award is a tool to encourage the participation of small companies in the innovation agenda. “We believe that recognizing and awarding the best innovation projects is a great incentive for entrepreneurs to develop their own projects. Since Sebrae entered the award three years ago, the participation of micro and small companies has increased almost fivefold,” she noted.
In total, 2,219 entries were received from all over the country – a record. The projects came from 26 states and the Federal District, with 673 from the Southeast region, 615 from the Northeast, 376 from the South, 298 from the North, and 257 from the Midwest. Over four months, the companies participated in a rigorous evaluation process that resulted in the selection of 28 finalists, of which only 10 were awarded.
MEI - The National Innovation Award is an initiative of the Business Mobilization for Innovation (MEI). Created in 2008 and coordinated by CNI, the movement brings together more than 100 business leaders from the largest companies in the country. In this environment, policies to support innovation are proposed and debated with government authorities, in the most consolidated private-public dialogue space in the country. The award also has the support of the Competitive Brazil Movement (MBC), the National Service of Industrial Learning (SENAI), the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL), the Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP), and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI).
Check out the winners in each category:
Local Innovation Agent
Directed at micro and small companies served by the Local Innovation Agents Program (ALI) of Sebrae in the industry, commerce, and services sectors.
Industry: Tecsistel - Paraná
Commerce: Central das Impressoras - Alagoas
Service: Jera – Mato Grosso do Sul
Technological Innovation
Values projects for products or processes that contribute to increasing the company's competitiveness.
Small company: Hi Tecnologies – Paraná
Medium company: Profilatica – Paraná
Large company: Votorantim Cimentos – São Paulo
Business Model Innovation
Awards the way projects are brought to market in order to improve business models capable of generating impacts on the company.
Large company: Natura – São Paulo
Innovation Management
Recognizes methods, techniques, and tools for innovation management that establish a conducive environment for the development of innovative projects. Only the winners in this category compete for the R$ 900,000 pre-approved in the SENAI SESI Notice.
Small company: Paiva Piovesan Softwares – Minas Gerais
Medium company: Dublauto – Rio Grande do Sul
Large company: Ciser – Santa Catarina
