Brazil continues to strengthen its global innovation profile, ranking 52nd in the 2025 WIPO Global Innovation Index (GII), slightly down from last year but well ahead of its 62nd place in 2020. The country stands out as the only Latin American economy performing above expectations for its level of development, with notable progress in human capital and research, supported by strong research infrastructure and sustained R&D investment. Initiatives such as the Brazil Innovation and Development Index (IBID), launched by Brazilian IP Office (INPI) in 2024, are helping to map innovation across all regions and federal units, gaining international recognition as a model for subnational innovation measurement.
This growing innovation ecosystem is mirrored in Brazil’s rapid advances in digital agriculture, a sector where technologies are evolving three times faster than the global average, according to the European Patent Office (EPO). Brazil produces food for roughly 11% of the world’s population and has become a leading hub for sustainable and digital agribusiness innovation. Brazilian IP Office data indicate that 15.7% of sustainable agriculture patents in Brazil relate to digital technologies, with one in five filed locally, highlighting the increasing role of domestic innovation.
Institutions such as Embrapa are at the forefront, developing digital solutions like an app, which uses advanced agricultural and meteorological models to guide planting decisions and reduce crop losses. Across the sector, technologies such as AI, drones, imaging, and sensors are enabling precision agriculture, automation, and real-time monitoring, reinforcing Brazil’s position as a key player in global agritech innovation.