University of Rio de Janeiro creates 'Silicon Valley' for pre-salt

Leading companies in the oil will settle in Ilha do Fundão (address of UFRJ, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), the largest technology research park in oil, gas and energy in the world, with private investment of $ 500 million. Is the "Ilha do Petróleo", facing the challenges of the pre-salt.

According to the news portal iG, until 2014, the year of World Cup in Brazil, UFRJ wants to start a kind of "Silicon Valley carioca". Instead of computing, in Rio the stars will be the main players in the oil industry, energy, environment and information technology.

An important advantage is the park's existing infrastructure, which includes - besides the very UFRJ - the second most powerful supercomputer in Latin America and LabOceano, largest and deepest ocean laboratory in the world.

"It's the only place in the world with in the same development site the three main competing services: Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Halliburton. You cross the street and is at the research center of the other. Houston (Texas, United States, the world capital of oil) also has this, but in a more dispersed way”, says the executive director of the Technology Park, Mauricio Guedes.

The companies that will be installed on site are Siemens, FMC Technologies, Usiminas, Tenaris Confab, EMC Computer Systems, BR Distribuidora, ESSS Engineering Simulation and Software, Ilos Instituto de Logístíca e Supply Chain, PAM Membranas.

Although not administratively in the UFRJ park, GE (General Electric) also will physically integrate the complex - made ​​possible by an agreement between government and the Army, that owns area of ​​50,000 square meters on the island.

To enter the Ilha do Petróleo, the companies were granted through bidding, use of land for 20 years, renewable for another 20, on payment of rent, which varies monthly from $ 3 to $ 20 per square meter. The research centers will also pay a fee to the park service, similar to a condominium for the maintenance of the area.

Votorantim Cimentos opens factory in Imbituba, Santa Catarina

Votorantim Cimentos inaugurated today a new plant in Imbituba, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. The plant will add 1.1 million tons of cement per year to the regional market. The unit received an investment of $ 90 million and generated 450 direct and indirect jobs during its construction.

In a statement, the company says it also started operating a new plant in Ramos Vidal, in Alto Vale do Itajaí. Besides the two new units, the company also has a factory in the city of Itajaí, Santa Catarina, which produces 500 000 tons of cement per year.

"Now, Votorantim Cimentos has capacity to produce 2.4 million tons of cement per year in Santa Catarina. With this, the state is no longer importing cement and now exports to other markets in the South ", says Walter Schalka, president of the company.

The new plants are part of the expansion plan that envisages investment of $ 5 billion between 2007 and 2013. The plants have received a total investment of 440 million reais.

Votorantim Cimentos's goal is to increase its current production capacity to 42 million tonnes per year by 2013, with a total of 35 cement factories in the country.