Boeing opens engineering & technology centre in Brazil

Boeing announced the opening of its Engineering and Technology Centre in Brazil, one of 15 Boeing engineering sites around the world that develop advanced technology to drive aerospace innovation.

"Based in São José dos Campos where the company began operations in 2014, the engineering centre is an expansion of Boeing’s strategic investments in Brazil where it employs about 500 engineers supporting current and future programmes," says an official release.

Lynne Hopper, Vice President, Strategy and Operations, Boeing Engineering says: "Boeing's long standing partnership with Brazil dates back more than 90 years, and during that time, we have collaborated with the Brazilian aerospace industry and community to tap into the incredible technical abilities and problem-solving skills of Brazilian engineers. Their expertise strengthens our commitment to engineering excellence and positions us to tackle the next generation of challenges in our industry."

Boeing also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state of São Paulo focused on aerospace technological development including:

*Support for education focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

*Promoting a joint agenda of industrialisation and innovation; and

*Enhancing and strengthening the talent pipeline throughout Brazil’s aerospace ecosystem with an emphasis on increasing diversity

"São Paulo has all the conditions to strengthen aerospace technological development, an important sector that drives the economy of the state," says Jorge Lima, Secretary of Economic Development, State of São Paulo. "With this MoU, we aim to generate more jobs and income for our state, which is one of the main purposes of the partnership with the private sector, a directive of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas."

With the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Boeing announced funding to extend their sustainability partnership to develop the third phase of the SAFMaps database to understand the feasibility of the most promising inputs for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in specific areas in Brazil, the release said.

"Supported by Boeing, the development of SAFMaps as an innovative web platform led by Unicamp is focused on helping accelerate SAF production in Brazil," adds Arnaldo Walter, Mechanical Engineering professor who leads the project at Unicamp. "The project, led by the university, currently includes 13 Brazilian states with the greatest potential for biomass production. It also integrates essential information about potential raw materials, aligning with international regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions with the goal of achieving even more sustainable aviation."

Landon Loomis, President, Latin America and the Caribbean and Vice President, Global Policy, Boeing says: "Our investments in Brazil are extensive and reflect the fact that Boeing considers the country a strategic partner in solving some of the biggest challenges in the global aerospace industry. By expanding our collaboration in Brazil, the country can also play a larger role in meeting global demand for commercial airplanes valued at $8 trillion over the next 20 years."