Meeting took place at the headquarters of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, in São Paulo, last Tuesday (4)
The opportunities made available by SENAI to the Defense Industry, the drag in the Armed Forces programs, and the unbalance in the Armed Forces budget allocation were the main themes debated in the plenary of ABIMDE (Brazilian Association of Defense and Security Industries), held last Tuesday (4).
The meeting, in hybrid format, took place at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, in São Paulo. Among the guests that attended the meeting were representatives from the Defense Affairs Division (DADF), of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DECTI) and the Department of Defense Products (Deprod) of the Secretariat of Defense Products (Seprod/MD); from the Navy Technology Center in São Paulo (CTMSP) of the Army’s Southeast Military Command and the units of Sisdia (Defense, Industry and Academy System) of São Paulo and of Campinas, also of the Army; of ABESE (Brazilian Association of Electronic Security Systems Companies), ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment) and of the Defense and Security Committees of FIERGS (Federation of Industry and Commerce of Rio Grande do Sul) and FIEP (Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná).
The Secretary General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Tamer Mansour, welcomed those present and highlighted the partnerships and the good relationship of the Brazilian Defense and Security Industry with the Arab countries. The meeting was opened by the President of ABIMDE’s Board of Directors, Dr. Roberto Gallo. He thanked the Arab Chamber and Itamaraty for fostering the approach of small and medium-sized Brazilian Defense and Security companies to the Middle East.
After updating the associates on the administrative actions to strengthen ABIMDE’s actions in Brasilia (DF) and with strategic institutions, Dr. Gallo gave a brief overview of key issues for sustaining the BIDS. The disproportion of the Armed Forces resources allocated to spending on personnel and consumables in relation to spending on investment in procurement – which today is below 10% of the total budget – was pointed out as one of the main barriers to new investments.
“We need legislative change, so in the next period, which starts now, we have to fight all together to move forward. To seek a constant, balanced budget that is more in line with global practice regarding the proportion of resources in acquisitions. We know that there is daily pressure on personnel expenses, but we need to stop this,” said the President of ABIMDE.
He also defends a movement to ensure that the application of current resources, applied mainly in the strategic programs of the Armed Forces, benefit a greater number of small and medium-sized Brazilian companies from economic groups other than the “primes”. For him, it is necessary to create contractual mechanisms so that the drag is not concentrated in companies controlled by the primes contractors.
“These large programs allow for the technological development of Brazil. In practice, there are already criteria for national content, but this has not been translated into dragging in the production chain. It is necessary to have a second criterion, so that Brazilian companies, from different economic groups, not linked to the prime contractor, are contracted“, explains Dr. Gallo.
For him, the drag in the production chain generates great benefits for the Defense Industry and for the technological sovereignty of the country, because it allows a lot of management knowledge and international quality requirements to be transferred from the large to the small. Among them, he cited the technology that reaches the ends and the possibility of developing a BIDS with greater capacity to meet the needs of the country and the international market.
“When I talk about drag I’m not talking about increasing budget, it’s about increasing the responsibility of the primes with the national industry. It implies the perception that the Brazilian state is putting money in to maintain a mobilized production capacity. This privilege and power given to the prime has to be accompanied by great responsibilities, and a part of it has to be in the drag,” said the President of ABIMDE.
Opportunities at SENAI
When starting the presentation of the lecture “SENAI’s Strategic Support for Training the Defense Industry”, the Executive Manager of Market Relations at CNI’s National Department SESI-SENAI-IEL, Paulo Henrique Freitas, commented on the gains that small and medium-sized companies have when approaching large industries that are already well positioned in the international market.
“What President Gallo said is very interesting. We, who are inside the companies, notice this learning movement when the small company starts to connect with the big one. By increasing its management maturity, the small company starts to open more opportunities in exports, and begins to see an increase in revenues,” he said.
Paulo Freitas outlined an overview of the activities of the CNI and the SESI, SENAI and IEL institutions, which have more than 2,000 fixed and mobile units present in the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District.
“The CNI is the great coordinator of this whole process of promoting Brazilian Industry. Our mission is to stimulate human and technological development, seeking mainly the productivity and competitiveness of industry, regardless of its industrial sector“, emphasized the Executive.
Focusing on opportunities for the Defense and Security sector, Freitas presented the solutions offered by SENAI, SESI, IEL and Innovation Institutes, internationalization programs, business missions, health and safety, among other initiatives.
In the area of professional and technical education, he highlighted the SENAI 4.0 Learning Program: Mechanics 4.0, IT 4.0, and Advanced Manufacturing, which includes training technicians in Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersystems, and Developer, among others.
“SENAI is in a much more mature stage, we are working with innovations and improvements, mainly for the development of people. We can create customized courses, we look inside the company or sector, we survey the different competencies and needs. We can put together a course with a curriculum that meets the Defense and Security sector“, explained the CNI executive.
To start the diagnosis of the BIDS demands, SENAI and ABIMDE made available a Survey of Demands, for the perception of opportunities, which will be sent to all ABIMDE members.
Based on the results, the solutions that best serve the Defense and Security Industry will be evaluated. “This is a unique opportunity for the Defense Industry. With this research, SENAI opens a door to many opportunities. We need to train talents and SENAI is providing this for the Defense and Security Industry Base,” said ABIMDE’s Executive President, General Aderico Mattioli.
This strategic approach with SENAI, explains the General, is the result of a more pragmatic posture adopted by ABIMDE. “We stopped contemplating the problems and started to seek partnerships and implement actions that can mitigate the harmful impacts to the Defense and Security Industry. That is why it is very important that our associates not only help us in the diagnosis of the demands, but also in the referrals to associations that want to collaborate with us in favor of the development of the Defense and Security Industrial Base“, he said.
BID Brazil Show and ABIMDE’s news
In the sequence, Colonel Antonio Ribeiro, ABIMDE’s Project Director, highlighted the news from the 7th BID Brazil Show. He alerted that the companies interested in participating should hurry up because the space options are increasingly scarce.
For the 7th IDB Brazil Showcase, which will take place from December 6th to 8th this year in Brasília (DF), ABIMDE is concentrating efforts in bringing a large number of foreign delegations. Around 60 friendly nations have already been invited and many have already confirmed their interest in participating.
“In this edition we will also have a support area for exhibitors. We will have a Business Square, where the exhibitor will be able to talk to specialized professionals, for example, in the area of commercial intelligence, legal advice, lines of funding, legal advice, advice for controlled products, customs clearance and insurance,” explained the Director of Projects of ABIMDE.
Starting next week, the new Mostra BID Brasil website will be online, with a more dynamic and efficient format. The online registration form will also be available so that authorities, exhibitors and visitors can guarantee in advance their credentials to access the 7th Brazil IDB Showcase.
Business Rounds
Colonel Antonio Ribeiro also emphasized the success of the Business Round held by ABIMDE, in partnership with ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Industry), at the request of the Italian group Leonardo. The event brought together 65 in-person and 24 remote participants, resulting in 35 B2B meetings. Following a similar model, another round of business is being organized by ABIMDE with the company Rakez, which intends to present opportunities to BIDS in the free zone of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
International Fairs
Between November 2nd and 5th of this year, the Brazil Pavilion will be at Indo Defense, in Jakarta (Indonesia), in an area of 170 m². The space will host 20 Brazilian companies, 17 with their own booths and three in a coworking system.
Brazil has also confirmed its participation at Idex (focused on Defense), between February 19 and 23, 2023. ABIMDE has already started a survey of the companies interested in participating in the event in Abu Dhabi (Arab Emirates).
ABIMDE is also evaluating a possible participation at Intersec (focused on Security), in Dubai (Arab Emirates), from January 17th to 19th, 2023. At the moment, it is being evaluated the interest of associated companies in the event for possible inclusion in the ApexBrasil agreement.
Updates
ABIMDE’s Executive Director, Colonel Armando Lemos, updated the members on the agenda of meetings and events. He also highlighted the expansion of the scope of products accredited for certification by ABIMDE and the benefits generated to the industry.
“ABIMDE today is the main certifier of controlled products in the country. It managed to reduce the long waiting period for certification of a product, contributing to the competitiveness and innovation of BIDS,” said Colonel Lemos.
ABIMDE is accredited by Inmetro (National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology) and by Senasp (National Secretariat of Public Safety), and it is also designated by the Inspection Board of Controlled Products of the Army, for the Certification of Controlled Products.
New members
At the end of the Plenary, the new ABIMDE associates were presented.
Eurobras Construções Metálicas Moduladas (Santo André-SP)
With 40 years of experience, Eurobras is pioneer in the development of modular constructions for the most diverse needs.
Fratelli Metalúrgica (Santa Rosa-RS)
It started its activities 36 years ago and today operates in three sectors: production of equipment; supply of steel and aluminum material for civil construction, and renewable energy solutions.
Sol Paragliders (Jaraguá do Sul/SC)
Company founded in 1991, leader in the Americas and one of the world leaders in the production of paragliders, equipment, accessories, and free-flight clothing. Sol has distributors in 72 countries.
Zanelato Braga (São Paulo/SP)
Firm founded in 2014, focused on ethical and strategic advocacy. Serves clients in a personalized manner in the areas of contracts, tax, legal and business risk management, governance and compliance, public bids and contracts, succession, among others.
*** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI Team ***