IBM and the Government of Brazil today announced the opening of a new research laboratory in Brazil: IBM Research - Brazil, a research center to develop technology for a smarter planet.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

Lab personnel will begin operations immediately at existing IBM locations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. IBM will work with local governments to determine the future locations of IBM Research - Brazil.

IBM Research - Brazil is IBM's ninth global research lab. It also is IBM's first research lab in South America and the first new IBM Research lab in 12 years.

Over the next few years, the lab will grow to more than 100 world-class researchers. These specialists will be added to the team of approximately 3,000 IBM researchers, in eight labs, in six countries today. The new lab will be integrated into IBM's worldwide research and development organizations to enhance scientific discovery and apply the results to address the planet's biggest challenges.

"IBM Research addresses some of the most significant challenges of our time by discovering how science and technology can improve the way the world works," said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president and director of IBM Research. "Brazil's abundance of natural resources and technical talent presents unique research opportunities and the ability to deploy them to solve increasingly important problems. The new lab also gives IBM scientists the opportunity to extend their collaboration with universities, government organizations, and companies in Brazil and across Latin America."

"The choice of Brazil for the installation of the lab is a demonstration that our medium and long term perspectives are very promising as a result of a coordinated effort which has allowed us to reach a big economic and institutional solidity," said Miguel Jorge, Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Commerce. "This scenario has given a company like IBM the assurance and confidence needed to extend its activities in our country."

  Research conducted at the new lab in Brazil will focus on:
  --  Smarter natural resource discovery, exploration and logistics,
      initially in the areas of oil and gas, and addressing the
      sustainability and safety of the resources industry.
  --  Smarter devices that can be created using advances in semiconductors
      aiming the challenges of building a smarter planet.  The lab will be a
      center of collaboration and innovation for Brazilian and global
      companies in the areas of development and deployment of these
      advances.
  --  Smarter "human systems", with an emphasis on large-scale events. 
      Researchers at the lab in Brazil will work to create and deploy
      innovations which will be used at the major sporting events Brazil
      will host, including the Soccer World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic
      Games in 2016.

Over time, other areas of possible research at this lab could include: smarter transportation, smarter healthcare, smarter agribusiness, and the required information technologies - including supercomputing - that will support these industries.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Sergio Rezende, has described the IBM initiative as "the recognition of the excellence achieved in Brazil of its progress in science and technology, and the quality of its human resources, reinforcing our ability to execute world class scientific and technical projects." For him, the decision of the company "is a consequence of a continuous effort in developing skilled human resources and in fomenting research activities, development and innovation, consolidated by the articulation between the Productive Development Politics and the Science, Technology and Innovation Plan of Action. Brazil will benefit significantly from being selected by IBM Research, which is recognized as one of the most important scientific and technological institutions in the world."

"The choice of Brazil for the newest IBM Research Lab is the reflection of the big growth opportunity we have seen here," said Ricardo Pelegrini, general manager of IBM Brazil. "IBM believes technology is an important tool to help the growth of the country and the development of our society. We are proud of seeing our company - in the year it will celebrate 93 years in Brazil - investing even more, creating opportunities and developing new technologies for the benefit of Brazil and of the world."

  About IBM
  For more information, visit www.ibm.com/smarterplanet



  Contact:
  Jenny Galitz McTighe
  IBM Media Relations
  914-945-1016
  galitz@us.ibm.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: galitz@us.ibm.com

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SOURCE: IBM