An agreement signed in December between the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (Agência Brasileira de Desenvolvimento Industrial – ABDI) and Petrobras will contribute to strengthen the governance of clusters in the oil, gas and shipbuilding chain. The goal is to consolidate institutional cooperation efforts between governments, companies and organizations focused on teaching, training and technological development. The agreement also aims to develop the supply chain and contribute to the formulation of projects that are considered relevant for competitiveness in each of the territories impacted by large investments in the oil chain.
 
To implement the actions planned, Petrobras will provide a financial contribution of BRL$ 4 million to be executed by ABDI in two years. The funds will be invested in consulting services to support the organization of the governance system of five clusters – in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul –, develop business plans for 30 medium and medium-large companies and strengthen cooperation between companies and local scientific and technological institutions.
 
"The agreement provides opportunities for taking advantage of the investments planned for the sector, which requires a large volume of purchases. Among them is the development of the supply chain of materials and services, including qualified local suppliers", says the director of ABDI, Otávio Camargo. "The partnership with Petrobras is in line with the mission of ABDI, which seeks to develop strategic actions for the industrial policy by promoting productive investment, employment, innovation and competitiveness," added the coordinator of the ABDI’s Energy area, Jorge Boeira.
 
The initiative is expected to expand, at competitive prices, the supply capacity of the Brazilian industry to meet the demands of Petrobras and its supply chain, particularly shipyards, EPC, producers of packages and modules for rigs and platforms, integrators and manufacturers of large equipment.
 
Beneficiary territories
 
In August 2012 ABDI and Petrobras had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior - MDIC) for the implementation of joint actions conducive to the development of the sector’s supply chain. The commitment resulted in the Plan for the Development of Clusters in the Oil, Gas and Shipbuilding industry, which already benefits five Brazilian territories in the regions of Bahia de Todos os Santos (Bahia), Vale do Aço (Minas Gerais), Suape (Pernambuco), Comperj (Rio de Janeiro) and Rio Grande (Rio Grande do Sul). These same territories are the focus of the new agreement signed between Petrobras and ABDI, which will further support negotiations between governments and the sector, which are essential to the success of the project.
 
"This joint action is essential to consolidate governance in the five beneficiary territories and we support the definition of their development agendas. It is worth noting also that the actions implemented by ABDI, Petrobras and MDIC are in line with the Plano Brasil Maior and the Program for Mobilization of the National Oil and Gas Industry (Programa de Mobilização da Indústria Nacional de Petróleo e Gás – Promimp), in an important convergence of federal government policies", said João Rossi, general coordinator of the Oil, Gas and Shipbuilding area of MDIC.