Klabin, based in Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, is the most innovative company in the South region. The runner-up is from Santa Catarina and maintains the position it held the previous year: Whirlpool, based in Joinville. In third place is Prati-Donaduzzi, based in Toledo, Paraná, followed by Nidec Global Appliance, also based in Joinville; and Lojas Renner, based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The results of the 21st edition of Champions of Innovation, a pioneering ranking in Brazilian economic journalism, were revealed this Thursday (24) on the Grupo AMANHÃ YouTube channel at an event held at HotMilk, PUCPR’s technology park in Curitiba. See the list of the 80 most innovative companies in the South at the end of this report.

Approximately 300 companies and organizations responded to the questionnaire in this edition. IXL Center’s meticulous analysis resulted in a top list of 80 companies, plus 24 more in six special categories. The top group includes 41 representatives from Rio Grande do Sul, 22 from Santa Catarina, and another 17 from Paraná. Among the 24 leaders in the six special categories, 13 are from Rio Grande do Sul, eight are from Paraná, and three are from Santa Catarina. Paraná dominates among production cooperatives, while Rio Grande do Sul dominates among business entities. The capitals of Porto Alegre (with 17) and Curitiba (10) host many of the winners, but within Santa Catarina, the industrial hub of Joinville boasts the largest number of companies: nine.

The Innovation Champions ranking also has a special division with six categories. These categories cover companies and organizations from more specific sectors, as well as business and trade associations that promote a culture of innovation in their localities. The 21st edition of the AMANHÃ and IXL Center list includes Production Cooperatives (Lar is the winner, followed by Coopavel, Cocamar, Integrada and Frísia), Teaching & Research (the leader is Unisinos, with PUCPR in second place, PUCRS in third, Atitus Educação in fourth and UCS in fifth), Business Entities (CREA-RS won and Sindilojas Porto Alegre obtained the second position), State-owned, Philanthropic and Non-Profit Companies/Organizations (Sanepar is the champion, followed by Lactec, Companhia Águas de Joinville and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre), Medium and Small Companies/Startups (the first place goes to Construct IN, with Razonet Contabilidade Digital as runner-up, followed by Sirros IoT, Privacy Tools and TerraMares Soluções Ambientais) and Technology Parks (Tecnosinos is the leader, followed by Tecnopuc and Inaitec), item that debuts in the ranking.