Rovensa Next is investing R$45 million (about US$8.8 million) in research and development of new agricultural biosolutions in Brazil through financing from the Brazilian Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (FINEP).

The financing, secured under FINEP’s Mais Inovação (More Innovation) program, will support development of new products in bionutrition, biocontrol and adjuvants. The program provides subsidized financing to encourage research and technological development.

The 16-year financing agreement covers 90 percent of the project’s total cost, providing long-term funding for Rovensa Next’s R&D activities in Brazil.

Victor Sonzogno, head of Brazil at Rovensa Next, said that Brazil is a priority market and a strategic powerhouse for Rovensa’s global innovation network, and that “this FINEP funding will accelerate our R&D projects, further enhancing our ability to develop cutting-edge biosolutions that address local agricultural challenges while successfully scaling these technologies to support growers worldwide.”

Brazil becomes R&D hub

The funding adds to Rovensa Next’s recent expansion of its research and production capabilities in Brazil. The company recently opened a pilot fermentation plant at its Monte Mor industrial site.

The plant operates in conjunction with Rovensa Next’s Global Research and Innovation Center for Biosolutions in Hortolândia. The company says the facilities will allow microbial products to move more quickly from laboratory development toward industrial-scale production.

Sonzogno said the FINEP support is “a major recognition of the strength of our innovation program and the potential of the technologies we are developing in Brazil.”

Riccardo Vanelli, chief innovation and strategy officer at Rovensa Next, said the financing “represents a significant step forward in our mission to connect market opportunities with product innovation.”

He added that increasing R&D capacity in Brazil will help the company develop products suited to specific grower and distributor needs while expanding technologies for international markets.

Rovensa Next markets products in more than 90 countries and has a global R&D network that includes 39 laboratories, research and excellence centres, fields and greenhouses, as well as 12 production plants. The company says it has more than 100 R&D and innovation specialists and more than 170 partnerships with research centres and universities.

The new investment will focus on biological solutions intended to support crop productivity and soil health while improving the sustainability of agricultural production systems.