With the Innovation and Technology at Braskem S.A.: Polyolefins Unit case, Braskem once again won the regional FINEP award in the category of Large Company in the Southern Region, which assessed projects from the region’s three states. The award was granted to Braskem for the innovation process’ management model implemented in 2003. This model strengthened the resources the Polyolefins Unit, which is responsible for the business involving polyethylene and polypropylene thermoplastic resins, destines to the development of new products, applications, markets and business opportunities.

The point of convergence for all these innovations is Braskem"s Center for Technology and Innovation, located in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, which is the most modern and best-equipped Center for the petrochemical industry in Latin America, with 11 laboratories and 7 pilot plants. Including doctors, masters and technicians, more than 170 professionals dedicate themselves to satisfying customer needs and developing new solutions and applications for the thermoplastic resins produced by the company.

The result of having technology as a corporate strategic guideline is evidenced by the number of new products developed and introduced to the market over the past years. According to Luis Fernando Cassinelli, director of the Braskem Center for Technology and Innovation, there were 18 product launches in 2005 alone. Together, they represented 16% of the period’s sales volume, concluded the executive.

The novelties launched over the past few years include the Braskem Prisma family, geared towards the transparent packaging segment with high resistance to temperature impacts, such as the beverage industry; Braskem Pluris, gered towards the flexible packaging market and mainly used in pet-food packages, industrial bags and meat packing packages, as well as Braskem Symbios, a sealant also geared mainly towards the food industry packaging market.

Braskem’s permanent focus on innovation and technology also resulted in more than 40 patents deposited in Brazil and abroad since 2003. This performance has provided an enormous contribution to the company’s excellent results, adding greater value to the products, greater competitiveness to the entire petrochemical and plastics productive chain and become a factor for customer loyalty.

This is the fifth time Braskem wins the Finep award, one of the most respected research support institutions in Brazil. It has won four regional and one national award. By winning the regional one, Braskem is in the running for the national award. "This recognition confirms we made the right decision to prioritize the development of innovative solutions for the thermoplastics market," concluded Cassinelli.