Petrobras announces technology transfer to suppliers

The state-owned company hopes to obtain two benefits from the transfer of technical knowledge, one of which is the technological leap forward from suppliers, who will be able to offer Petrobras’ businesses more advanced and effective services.

The second is the financial return, since the companies that make the commercial exploitation of the patents will have to pay royalties (fee charged in exchange for the use of an asset) to Petrobras. The company estimates that the royalties could generate R$ 10 million per year, if all patents are exploited.

For the state-owned company, patent licensing is a bet on the potential of innovation to generate a positive impact in the country. “We want, in a collaborative way, to drive innovation not only for Petrobras, but also in the entire energy sector”, said the director of Engineering, Technology and Innovation at Petrobras, Carlos Travassos, at the site from the company.

Areas of expertise

The cutting-edge technologies that will be shared cover areas such as exploration of fuel sources, production, refining and sustainability.

Among the exposed patents, there are, for example, carbon dioxide capture systems for vehicle application, which can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for global warming.

The expertise that can be used by suppliers was born at the Petrobras Research and Innovation Center (Cenpes), in Rio de Janeiro. “Our expectation is that the measure will contribute to the implementation of these technologies and that they will be applicable in relevant areas for the company and for the industry”, said the executive manager of Cenpes, Maíza Goulart.

Accession

The use of the 214 patents is valid for one year. Technical information is registered with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the government agency responsible for depositing and granting patents in the country. Companies that adhere to the licensing agreement will have access to protected technology to develop products and services. In case of commercial use, they will pay a percentage to Petrobras – which varies according to the technology (from 1% to 10%).

“It is a license, not a transfer of technology. In the transfer, Petrobras would lose the patent rights, but in the licensing, the company maintains ownership, allowing a third party to use it”, explained Maíza.

If more than one company has an interest in the same patent, both can have access to the data. Licensing offers can be accessed at site do Petrobras Connections for Innovation Program.

For those interested, an advantage is that a prior payment is not necessary even before commercially exploiting the technology created by the state-owned company, that is, they will only pay royalties if they “make money” using the patent.

If the licensed company perfects the technology, it is guaranteed ownership of the development. In this case, Petrobras reserves the right to obtain a license to use the improvements.

patent champion

Petrobras is the champion in Brazil in number of active patents, with 1,100 registrations in the country, and plans to invest US$ 2.1 billion (about R$ 10 billion) in digital transformation and innovation by 2027.

The state-owned company was featured in the 2022 ANP Innovation Award, from the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency. The company won first place in four of the five disputed categories.

According to the INPI’s Monthly Industrial Property Bulletin, released in June, from January to May 2023, Brazil received 9,803 applications for invention patents. Most are individuals (38%), followed by medium and large companies (25%); teaching and research institutions and government (24%); and individual micro-entrepreneur, micro and small companies (12%).