| Contacts |
Gonçalo Guimarães
itcp@itcp.coppe.ufrj.br
http://www.itcp.coppe.ufrj.br
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| Objectives |
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Affect policymaking
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Create jobs
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Develop profitable enterprises
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Provide income generating opportunities for disadvantaged populations
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Raise the awareness of potential entrepreneurs
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| Description |
The Technological Incubator for Popular Cooperatives (Incubadora Tecnológica de Cooperativas Populares – ITCP) is a university sponsored initiative run by the Engineering Post-Graduate and Research Coordination at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – COPPE/UFRJ, which has had, since 1995, as its primary objective the inclusion of economically marginalized sectors of the economy within the formal system. Centered on strengthening cooperativism, as well as involved in the field of economic development in general, the ITCP has also helped put forward new public policies and dedicated a significant proportion of its time and effort to the search for a solution to the new relations existing in the global workplace and the affirmation of citizen’s rights.
Since its conception, the ITCP has helped, by means of cooperativism, to include not only those who have been falling gradually behind the market within this new national conjuncture, but also, and especially those who historically have never been part of it. In addition to assisting in market inclusion, the ITCP aims to promote, through work, popular organization and to create a network of solidarity that represents a solution or response to the model of exclusion present in the economy, thus generating alternatives for work, income and citizenship through communal self-reliant enterprises, which in turn broaden the rights of those workers involved
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| Interests |
Multimedia Production Center for the cooperative ventures development
In recent years the Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives (ITCP COPPE UFRJ) has devoted special attention to the use of Information and Communication Technologies in the incubation of popular cooperatives. Among its outcomes, we highlight the establishment of an ICT center at ITCP headquarters, the launch, in 2006, of the Cooperativism Portal www.cooperativismopopular.ufrj.br on the internet, and the establishment of a computer training program for cooperative members and their families. The great interest in this program promoted the inclusion of young people and adults from low-income classes, allowing, at the same time, their digital and productive inclusion through cooperativism.
Cyber-School Project: digital and social inclusion of young people
The Cyber-School Project benefited young male and female, aged from 18 to 24 years-old, from low income families (40% enrolled in the governmental social program), residents of Nova Iguaçu, municipality of Rio de Janeiro.
Under this project, they received training and professional qualification in basic and advanced computing (Maintenance of computers; installation and maintenance of networks, and Web Design), as well as advice for formation of a popular cooperative of micro-business in computer technology.
Vegetable Oil Recycling Program for Social Inclusion and Environment Protection
The Vegetable Oil Recycling Program (PROVE) encourages the reuse of waste vegetable oil in the production of biodiesel, as a way to work for environment preservation and protection.
The Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives provides advice to cooperatives participating in the PROVE, assisting them in their administrative organization, political articulation and logistics for vegetable oil collection, implemented in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
Building a Mental Health Entrepreneur’s Network
The Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives project aims the social (re)integration of users of the mental health system, seeking to strengthen the experiences of employment and income generation projects in this field, through qualification of mental health technicians across Brazil and the creation of a network of social enterprises coming from the public mental health system.
The creation of a mental health entrepreneur’s network by ITCP COPPE UFRJ seeks the exchange of knowledge and ideas, the increasing of their economic viability and the dissemination of the issue of psychiatric reform and social inclusion of people with mental disorders through work.
Sustainable rural business associations: recovering degraded areas and generating wealth
Empower technical implementers to promote sustainable management of natural resources was just the point-of-departure of Technology Incubator of Popular Cooperatives (ITCP COPPE UFRJ), in a multidisciplinary program, known informally as "Watershed Project", developed by the Secretary of Agriculture and Fisheries of Rio de Janeiro in partnership with the World Bank, through the Global Environment Facility.
The objective of this project is to promote community organizing for sustainable self management of natural resources by rural communities using the watersheds as the unit of planning.
Tourism and local development
The tourism sector is considered, in the world economy, one of the economic activities with a greater capacity for expansion. In this context, the Ministry of Tourism developed a partnership with the Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives (ITCP COPPE UFRJ), under the Program of Technology Replication for Social Incubation of Popular Cooperatives and Community Organization, in Prioritized Areas of Low Human Development Index (HDI), with Potential in Tourism.
ITCP COPPE UFRJ has been transferring incubation technology for deployment of three Incubators in order to foster cooperativism, seeking sustainable local development in the tourism production chain in the North section of Brazil: Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão), Serra da Capivara and Delta do Parnaíba (Piauí) and in the Jericoacoara (Ceará) national park.
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| Services |
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Facilities: ICT services
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Facilities: Office space
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Facilities: Shared workshops
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Finance: Financial management training
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Finance: Linkages to financiers
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Incubation and Business Development: Business information
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Incubation and Business Development: Business management and development advisory services
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Incubation and Business Development: Incubation program for non-resident clients (virtual incubation)
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Incubation and Business Development: Incubation program for resident clients
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Incubation and Business Development: Mentoring/coaching
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Incubation and Business Development: Pre-incubation services
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Incubation and Business Development: Training in business management
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International Business Services: Help entering particular markets
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International Business Services: Trade facilitation
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Networks and Synergy: Facilitation of linkages between incubates
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Networks and Synergy: Networking events
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Networks and Synergy: Referrals to business professionals
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Technology Transfer: Help with commercializing technology
Other:
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| Year Opened |
1995
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| Type |
Academic
(This incubator is associated with a technology park)
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| Model |
Not-for-profit
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| Sectors |
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Information and Communication Technologies
Other:
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| Target Population |
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| Advocacy |
This organization actively works to improve innovation and entrepreneurship policy and regulation
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