4.0 Technologies in the Industrial Engineering and Heavy Construction Sector

The last two years will be marked in the history of Brazil by the amount and intensity of challenges that were imposed on us. But also for the expectations and trajectories of overcoming and success that were opened to us.
If on the one hand we have the pandemic and the water crisis, on the other we have the New Gas Market and regulatory advances in infrastructure, especially in sanitation and transport. The new opportunities opened up in these sectors, added to the values forecast in sectors with a consistent history of growth, such as oil, indicate that in the next 10 years Brazil will receive more than R$ 10 trillion in investments.
A significant part of these investments will be directed to Brazilian industrial engineering and heavy construction (E&C) companies. Despite having also faced major challenges, they preserved the resources that, deservedly, gave them the reputation of competence, the ability to innovate and, therefore, competitiveness.
These skills enable a transformation that, as it is essential to increase the sector's productivity and ensure its sustainable growth, is imperative and urgent. it is about the digital transformation, or the incorporation of industry 4.0 technologies in the E&C activity. The manufacturing activity advanced more quickly in this process. The services sector in general and, in particular, E&C services, are advancing more slowly. However, other countries and their E&C companies are already making progress on this trajectory.
It is on the pillars described above that the entities ABEMI, Deloitte, Instituto de Engenharia and SINICON created the Brazilian Program of Engineering and Construction 4.0, ProEC4.0. The representativeness and affinity of these entities with E&C companies give them conditions to contribute decisively in paving the path of the sector's digital transformation, using 4.0 technologies.
ProEC4.0 Initiatives
ProEC4.0 consists of three initiatives that, combined and articulated with each other, will contribute to raising and maintaining the standard of productivity and competitiveness of companies from E&C companies.
The first one deals with demarcating and obtaining economic and technological indicators on the sector. Despite being present and active in the country for centuries, specific and exclusive data on E&C companies are scarce and imprecise. This information, once available and reliable, needs to be updated regularly. They are absolutely essential to increase the quality of dialogue with other economic actors and, thus, improve the formulation and implementation of public policies favorable to the sector.
The second initiative is the prioritization of public policies that encourage the digital transformation of Brazilian E&C companies. Although controversial, evidence suggests that the role of the state as an inducer of economic growth is essential. It is also evident that protectionist instruments are ineffective. Recent studies suggest that effective policies should focus on technological complexity (eg, digital transformation), on exports, and require tradeoffs for company performance.
The third initiative is the Sorocaba Engineering and Construction Nucleus, the NECSOR. To be implemented within the Sorocaba Technological Park (PTS), about 95 km from São Paulo, NECSOR will concentrate three major activities:
- Train professionals able to develop 4.0 technologies in E&C. PTS has links with more than 10 educational institutions.
- Demonstrate the use and application of 4.0 technologies in E&C. NECSOR will contain a “digital flowerbed”, with more than 4,000 m2 available to perform tests and to experience the reality of the elements of E&C4.0.
- Bring the resolution, through open innovation, that is, cooperation between E&C companies, technology developers and universities, of problems brought by E&C companies. Problem solving is at the root of developing innovations and, more importantly, developing the culture of innovation.
ProEC4.0 actions are ongoing, with many steps already overcome. However, the ambition of taking Brazilian E&C companies to the position of an international benchmark in competitiveness requires continued efforts of cooperation between various actors.
Telmo Ghiorzi He holds a doctorate in public policy from UFRJ, post-doctorate in administration from FGV, a master's degree in petroleum engineering from Unicamp and mechanical engineer from UnB. He has over 30 years of experience in Oil & Gas, Engineering & Construction and other industrial sectors, in companies such as Azevedo & Travassos, UTC, Aker Solutions, Camargo Correa, Emerson, Shell and Air Liquide. He is currently Director of Institutional Relations at ABEMI.