Minas Gerais government to expand technology park.
Just over a year after its inauguration, the Belo Horizonte Technology Park (BH-Tec) is taking another important step to boost the attraction and emergence of new technology companies; the bidding notice for the expansion of BH-Tec with the construction of new buildings, through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), has been published in the State Official Gazette. Investments in the 18-story building could reach R$ 172 million.
Minas Agency - Just over a year after its inauguration, the Belo Horizonte Technology Park (BH-Tec) — built by the Government of Minas Gerais in partnership with other bodies — is taking another important step to boost the attraction and emergence of new technology companies. The bidding notice for the expansion of BH-Tec with the construction of new buildings, through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), was published in Tuesday's edition (19) of Minas Gerais – the State Official Gazette. Investments to be made in the 18-story building could reach R$ 172 million. Other buildings will be constructed as they are occupied.
According to the acting Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Evaldo Vilela, Minas Gerais is once again leading the way with the PPP for the construction of innovation environments. Vilela also highlighted the intense work of BH-Tec, Sectes, and the Development Bank of Minas Gerais (BDMG) to adapt the tender to a reality unprecedented in Brazil. "Sectes even sent specialized personnel to learn about the reality in the United States, and the American experience was fundamental in arriving at the format presented to Brazilian construction companies through this tender," he explained. Click here to access the edital.
The total area of the Belo Horizonte Technology Park is 535 square meters, where the BH-Tec institutional building and all the infrastructure for future development in the coming years have been erected. This new opportunity is known as Phase II of BH-Tec and foresees the construction of five buildings and a public square in an area of 207 square meters. The total expansion project for the park envisions the construction of 12 towers in the future. "We have to build vertically, as it's a prime area for technology companies, and especially because it's next to UFMG, considered a center of excellence in knowledge," assures Vilela.
Pioneering spirit in Minas Gerais
The announcement released this Tuesday represents a pioneering milestone for advancements in the innovation sector in Minas Gerais. The Belo Horizonte Technology Park is managed through a board. The BH-Tec Board of Directors is composed of the Government of Minas Gerais, through the State Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Sectes) and BDMG, the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais (Fiemg), the Municipality of Belo Horizonte, and the Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae).
With the expansion of BH-Tec, Minas Gerais is advancing in the knowledge economy, opening opportunities and providing suitable space for startups and also for established companies that want to partner with UFMG and, at the same time, be physically close to the teaching and research institution. "The small companies that we will house today will be large tomorrow. We will add value to our economy and to the future of Minas Gerais, which will certainly be in the technology sector," concluded Evaldo Vilela, while noting that the country needs to accelerate the pace of innovation, as many other countries are faster in this transition.