By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s state development bank BNDES has approved 4.7 billion reais in credit and equity for artificial intelligence projects since 2023, according to information released by Agência de Notícias do BNDES.
Of the total, 3 billion reais were allocated to AI-intensive projects, while the remainder supported initiatives that incorporate the technology as part of a broader scope. The financing falls under the government’s Nova Indústria Brasil (NIB) industrial policy framework.
Credit approvals for AI-intensive projects reached 2 billion reais. Of that amount, 1 billion reais was directed to integrators and developers — companies that connect AI technologies to end clients. Another 552 million reais went to hardware manufacturers, including producers of specialized chips, embedded systems and supercomputers. Infrastructure projects such as cloud computing and data centers accounted for 474 million reais.
On the equity side, support has been provided through BNDES Participações S.A. (BNDESPAR), the bank’s wholly owned subsidiary, via direct investments and investment funds.
“Artificial intelligence today is one of the bridges preparing Brazil for the future and that is why it is one of the first items on President Lula’s agenda during his visit to India. In addition to being a driver of innovation, this is a technology that will guarantee productivity gains for different economic sectors and strengthen our technological sovereignty, ensuring that this development serves everyone under global governance. BNDES has been working to ensure Brazil holds a prominent position in this transformation, which involves infrastructure, workforce qualification, development of business solutions and improvements in public services,” BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante said.
João Pieroni, superintendent of Productive Development and Innovation at BNDES, said AI adoption could significantly boost industrial competitiveness. “The incorporation of artificial intelligence into companies’ businesses, equipment and infrastructure has enormous potential to expand the competitiveness of Brazilian industry, and this is one of the priorities of Nova Indústria Brasil. For these reasons, BNDES has been seeking to mobilize all of its credit and equity instruments to place this agenda at the heart of the future of Brazilian industry,” he said.
The approvals underscore Brazil’s effort to scale up AI capabilities across systems integration, advanced hardware and digital infrastructure as part of its broader industrial modernization strategy.
Leave a Reply