Biotechnology in Brazil

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Professionals involved in the biotechnological area have frequently faced issues that are not part of their traditional training, since most of them emerge from basic sciences like mathematics, chemistry and biology. In Brazil, there are few professionals working in biotechnology that have knowledge or training in engineering, administration or law, for example; and they constantly need these skills not only to research, but also to innovate in this area.
Therefore, professionals should have a more multidisciplinary learning or easier access to these areas. In universities, it is not always possible to students to transit in different areas during their undergraduate or graduate degree. This kind of transition occurs more often on the southeast of the country, where there is also the largest part of Gross Domestic Product - GDP - (56%), according to Statistical and Geographical Brazilian Institute using 2008 GDP indicts, and most of the companies in life sciences (71.9%), according to Biominas Foundation 2009 study. These numbers bring to light whether the professionalization of science is connected to local development. The qualified professional does not see many options for entering the market since few medium and large companies hire biotechnologists and/or doctors. Considering the total number of total doctors in Brazil doctors in 2008, according to Management and Strategic Studies Centre analysis in 2010, there was the graduation of 10,705 doctors (general numbers) in Brazil, representing around 5% of the population. However, this number is growing due to policies adopted by governments that prioritize Brazilians education and professionalization. The majority of doctors were still from public institutions (90.5%), and most of the Southeast, especially from the state of São Paulo (45% of doctors), which is in agreement with the data presented above, that the Southeast has the highest rate of development.
In 2006, the southest employed 53.0% (3,172) doctors, while Sao Paulo alone employed 29% (1,737) of all doctors. While the Southeast has the highest number of local development, a Brazilian study found that the country is undergoing a process of spatial deconcentration of employment of doctors. Still in 2006, most of the graduated doctors integrated the sectors of education (76.77%) and public administration (11.06%). The remainder was divided into autonomous or public and private sectors. Among the areas that most hired, health and agriculture are highlighted, accordingly to the number of biotechnology companies in these areas. An important fact is that since 2004, the number of women with doctorates exceeded the number of men, 4,085 women and 3,991 men.

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