BNDES approves R$ 1,3 billion in credit to modernize Brazilian industry.
The Industry 4.0 Credit Line finances innovation, robotics, and AI with incentivized rates, primarily benefiting micro and small businesses.
247 - The Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has already approved R$ 1,3 billion in loans through the Industry 4.0 Credit line, launched at the end of August to boost the modernization of Brazil's industrial park, according to reports. FSPThe bank's available budget for this type of loan in 2025 is R$ 10 billion.
According to the institution, the financing combines incentivized interest rates, with 40% linked to the TR (reference rate) and 60% to market costs. To date, 824 operations have been approved, with approximately 52% of the resources directed to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The credit line focuses on investments in capital goods that incorporate advanced technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and sensors. The goal is to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of Brazilian industry.
In a statement, the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, highlighted the importance of the initiative for the sector: "Brazilian machinery has an average age of 14 years, and 38% of industrial equipment is near or beyond its ideal life cycle. An industry that innovates attracts new investments and generates more productivity and jobs."
The initiative is part of the innovation and digitalization axis of the More Production Plan, which is part of the NIB (New Industry Brazil), the industrial policy of the Lula (PT) government. Mercadante advocates for an active role for the bank in supporting different economic sectors, including factories, and highlights modernization as an engine for sustainable growth.
Some economists, however, view the expansion of BNDES with caution, fearing a possible bloating of the bank and a repetition of strategies from previous PT (Workers' Party) administrations. In response, the institution's management states that it focuses on strategic areas, such as innovation and clean energy, and that the Industry 4.0 Credit line is part of this vision.
The drive for innovation is reflected in IBGE data. A survey released in September showed that the proportion of medium and large industries using artificial intelligence in their processes more than doubled in two years, rising from 16,9% in 2022 to 41,9% in 2024. Among the largest industries, with 500 or more employees, the use of AI reached 57,5%, while companies with 250 to 499 employees registered 42,5%, and those with 100 to 249 employees, 36,1%.