Inovelab

In Brazil, the necessity has become the mother of invention. The hinterlands of South America's largest country are virtually inaccessible by roads, and copying and transporting hundreds of reels of film is expensive. Founded in 2002, Rain Network is a brazilian company that has created a solution for independent cinema market by interconnecting theaters in a digital network, with built-in antipiracy measures, and Brazil is poised to take the boldest steps yet into all-digital cinema, with 100 theaters - the largest digital network in the world.

The creative spark that was harnessed for more practical ends by Rain when they sought to develop a new digital exhibition and distribution platform. Using Windows Media 9 software, engineers came up with MPEG-4, video compression software that is cheaper and faster than the current system. The MPEG-4 software can squeeze a feature film onto a file of just five gigabytes, 15 times smaller than the MPEG-2 technology presently used.

The films are then beamed by satellite from Rain's central computer in Sao Paulo to picture houses across the country. Depending on bandwidth, it can take as little as 20 minutes to send a 90-minute film to a theater.

By eliminating celluloid and transport costs, distributors could quickly and cheaply beam blockbusters to distant towns the same day as they première in London, Los Angeles, or Sao Paulo. They can offer a wider range of films and even live broadcasts.

With offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, New York and London, Rain Network currently transmits, by satellite, films in digital format to more than 106 screens in Brazil, 14 screens in US and one screen in UK.

Rain Network
Av. Eng. Luiz Carlos Berrini 500 - cj 21
CEP 04571-000 - Sao Paulo - SP
Phone: (+5521) 2164-9797
Site: http://www.rain.com.br

Wall System is a technology for civil construction. Because of its distinguished characteristics of manufacturing and flexibility it can be used for low-cost constructions, such as schools, health centers, hostels and beach houses, among many other applications. The exclusive Wall System boards are made of a sandwich-like structure with fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels and a special core to meet both Brazilian and International standards.

As one of its great differentials, this system allows large-scale construction in a very short period of time. It also doesn't need painting and can be manufactured in different colors. According to the type of project, the customer can choose from wood, iron or aluminum doors and windows. Approved in all the resistance tests carried out by IPT - Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (Institute for Technological Research) at USP (SP), the Wall System technology also allows fine thermal and acoustical insulation.

Developed by MVC, a company belonging to Marcopolo S.A., that was founded in 1989, in São José dos Pinhais, PR, Brazil.

By improving and applying certain processes such as Vacuum Forming, Light RTM (Resin Transfer Molding), Continuous Lamination and Polyurethane Injection (PU), MVC started its activities operating in the Automotive Industry and gradually broadened its operations, introducing its own plastic products to the Light Industry and Infra-structure markets.

MVC has presently four manufacturing plants: three in Brazil (São José dos Pinhais - PR, Catalão - GO and Caxias do Sul - RS) and one abroad (Poloplast in Monterey, Mexico). MVC is always surprising with constant innovations and the search for improvement on plastic technology is always converted into distinguished products for the domestic and foreign markets.

MVC Componentes Plásticos Ltda.
Rua Maria Isabel Zagonel, 205
São José dos Pinhais, PR, Brazil
CEP: 83045-430
Phone: +55. 41. 2141.3200
Site: http://www.marcopolo.com.br/

Tritec Motors Ltda. was born from a joint venture established in 1996 between BMW and Chrysler with the objective to manufacture 1.4 and 1.6 liter gasoline engines in Brazil. Today, Tritec is the result of an investment of this US$ 500 million in equal shares.

The plant was built in the town of Campo Largo in the Curitiba metropolitan area, in the state of Paraná, on a lot of 1.27 million square meters. Construction began in 1998 and by January 1999, Tritec's 40,000 square meter facility had already been constructed.

The first motor was assembled in September of that same year. Tritec enters 2003 with an output capacity of 400 thousand motors/year.

Built according to strict quality and technology standards, the gasoline powered, 4-cylinder, 16 valve 1.6/1.4 liter engines are destined for export, equipping all BMW Mini models world wide; the DaimlerChrysler PT Cruiser in South Africa, Europe, and other foreign markets; and an additional export variant of the DaimlerChrysler Neon.

Tritec's forward vision, desire for success, investment in technology, investment in human resources, modern management techniques, and high level of automation, place Tritec among the world's best engine manufacturers which is clearly reflected in the final quality of its products.

Tritec Motors S.A.
Rua Ema Tanner de Andrade, 1892.
Campo Largo-PR
Telephone: 55 41 391-4500
Fax: 55 41 391-4551
Site: http://www.tritecmotors.com.br

WEG (Public, SAO:WEGE4) is the largest Latin American electric motors manufacturer and is present in over 100 countries in the five continents. Additionally, the company counts on state-of-the-art manufacturing processes associated with the most demanding total quality programs. Mostly important, the company today has the same asset philosophy as in 1961, which is based on work and discipline, multiplied by each of its employees committed to ultimate customer satisfaction.

Werner Ricardo Voigt (W), Eggon João da Silva (E) and Geraldo Werninghaus (G) founded "Eletromotores Jaraguá" in 16th of September 1961, three years later, the company created by an electrician, an administrator and a mechanic changed its name to "Eletromotores WEG SA".

Dedicated initially to the production of electric motors, the Company expanded its activities in the 1980s through the production of generators, electrical components, industrial automation products, power and distribution transformers, liquid and powder paints, and electro-insulating varnishes. Its product lines include control and protection, electric motors, generation and distribution of energy, industrial paints and varnishes, industrial process automation and speed variation.

Counting on more than 14 thousand employees all over the world, WEG reached an annual turnover of R$ 2.978 billion in 2005, a growth of 14% in relation to 2004, R$ 2,608 billion. Exports were responsible for almost 40% of the company's turnover. Production is concentrated in seven manufacturing plants in Brazil (in th cities of São Paulo, São Bernardo do Campo, Guarulhos, Manaus, Guaramirim, Blumenau and two plants in Jaraguá do Sul, two in Argentina, one in Mexico, one in Portugal and one in China. WEG also exports to over 100 countries and counts on branches and technical assistance in all five continents.

A good part of these great results influence life in the city of Jaraguá do Sul directly. One of the most visible forms of this is the distribution of profits to the employees. Besides the injection of capital that the profit distribution provokes in all the sectors of the economy, WEG also participates directly in the increase in quality of life of the city.

WEG S.A.
Av Prefeito Waldemar Grubba, 3330
Jaragua Do Sul, 89256-900
BRA +55-0047-3724000 (Phone)
Site: http://www.weg.com.br

Cryopraxis Cryobiology is a company dedicated to the collection, transportation, processing, freezing, long-term storage and biologic analyses of stem cells in the blood of the umbilical cord, placenta, bone marrow, peripheral blood, as well as germinative tissues and cells.

Cryobiology may be defined as the science and group of technologies relating to the behavior and physiologic integrity of cells and biologic tissues when submitted to ultra low temperatures.

As a Bank of Blood of Umbilical Cord and Placenta for Autologous use, Cryopraxis stands out as the first and major company in Latin America. Cryopraxis was the first umbilical cord blood bank to obtain certification by ANVISA, the National Health Surveillance Agency.

An excellent company in its branch, counting on a staff with more than 500 direct and indirect professionals, as scientists, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, biologists, administrators and managers with the highest technical and scientific level, the great majority of which are Masters and PhDs.

The Master Unit of Cryopraxis is located in the Biotechnology Center of Rio de Janeiro - BioRio, at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro contributing to the creation of human resources and the development of new technologies. Cryopraxis usually invests in creating human resources, research and development, innovation, and it results in better and more efficient laboratorial procedures — more safety for our clients.

Technical operations by Cryopraxis are extended throughout the Brazilian territory and some European countries, United States and Canada.

Criopraxis
Biotechnology Center of Rio de Janeiro - BioRio, UFRJ
Rio de Janeiro
Phone (+5521) 2141-7777
Site http://www.cryopraxis.com.br

A historical opportunity is laid out ahead of Brazil: to remain the world’s largest fuel ethanol supplier. As reporter Janaína Simões tells in the article that she prepared for Unicamp Innovation, there are data indicating, by 2010, a 230% increase in world demand for ethanol – from the current 33 billion liters (8.7 billion gallons) to almost 80 billion liters (21 billion gallons).

In order to grow along with that demand, Brazil and the countries that are preparing themselves to take advantage of the same opportunity – in particular the United States, China and India, which accounted for 80% of the world’s output in 2005, according to the Renewable Fuel Association — must find a way to produce more ethanol without using up all the planet’s tillable area.

Unicamp Innovation has been following the world’s movement towards ethanol and other fuels produced from biomass; and the recognition of the international media – recent – of Brazil’s leadership in the area. This edition brings part of what we have published on the theme, as well as new articles, such as those about two small businesses financed by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo State Research Foundation, Fapesp) that operate in the sugar and alcohol industry.

The State University of Campinas (Unicamp), in the city of Campinas, about 100 km (about 62 miles) from the capital city of the State of São Paulo, is Brazil’s second largest university according to academic standards. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2006, it boasts impressive numbers: nearly 30,000 students, almost half of which in Graduate courses, about 1,800 professors (93 percent of them PhDs), 20 teaching and investigation units, more than 50 Undergraduate courses, over 110 Graduate courses. Each year almost 1,300 Master’s Degree theses and nearly 750 PhD dissertations are defended. In its July, 2000 issue, Wire magazine described Unicamp as “Brazil’s answer to MIT,” saying that “it houses the nation’s number one computer science program and churns out future digerati who needn’t look far for a job.”

EXTRACTA Moléculas Naturais S.A. is a Brazilian R&D service provider to BioPharma, Veterinary, Cosmetics and Agro industries, offering state-of-the-art HTS screening against client targets and isolation of New Chemical Entities from Brazilian biodiversity.

EXTRACTA´s own BANK OF CHEMICAL BIODIVERSITY® is the largest, constantly growing collection of ready-to-screen compounds derived from Brazilian biodiversity within the legal framework of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity.

A growing library of plant extracts and their fractions totaling nearly 40,000 samples readyfor screening against bioassays in a 96-well plate format. The library contains nearly5,000 plant species professionally collected in the Atlantic Rain Forest and Oriental Amazon.This highly diversified material generated close to 11,000 different crude extracts obtainedfrom plant parts and close to 29,000 fractions that together constitute the basis for everyscreening exercise
EXTRACTA offers partners uncomplicated access to this immense chemical reservoir with comprehensive, worldwide IP arrangements (no IP stacking).

Current Collaborations: GlaxoSmithKline, Genzyme Corporation and Natura (largest cosmetic/phytoremedies concern in Brazil.

EXTRACTA Moléculas Naturais S.A.
Av. 24 s/n Quadra A Lote 6 e 7 - Cidade Universitária
Rio de Janeiro
Phone (+5521) 3867-5608
Site: http://www.extracta.com.br