Brasília – Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday (19) investment of 40 million Brazilian reals (US$ 17 million) in the National Centre of Advanced Electronic Technology (Ceitec), a public organisation established in 2008 to produce semiconductors and integrated circuits.
The company should produce the material in small scale and should work on and stimulate the training of qualified labour. The expectation is that production of technology should also have the effect of attracting to the country companies in areas like information technology and telephony.
The Federal government initially invested 270 million reals (US$ 116 million) in the construction of installations of the Ceitec building, in Porto Alegre. The installation should be inaugurated in July. Expectations, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, are for training of a total of 1,500 professionals to operate in the centre by 2010.
The announcement of the funds was made at a reserved ceremony at the Presidential Palace, with the participation of the ministers of Science and Technology, Sérgio Rezende. At the occasion, the president of the Ceitec, Eduard Weichselbaumer, was inaugurated.
*Translated by Mark Ament
