Why International Eyes Are Turning to Joinville: Brazil's Emerging AI Hub

In recent months, Brazil has been climbing the global innovation ranks, and Joinville is leading the charge. According to the 2024 Startup Ecosystem Index by StartupBlink, Joinville is now ranked among the top 10 startup hubs in Brazil, drawing international attention for its unique combination of industrial strength, technical talent, and a rapidly growing innovation ecosystem.

This momentum was evident at the Summit de I.A. 2025, Brazil’s largest artificial intelligence event, held in Joinville. The summit brought together leaders, researchers, and global agencies to explore how AI is shaping industries, economies, and international cooperation.

To add an international perspective to the discussion, we invited Nastassja von Gunten, Project Manager at Berninvest, the economic development agency for the Canton of Bern, Switzerland.

“Brazil has enormous AI potential, driven by its continental scale, digital society, and diverse industrial base,” says Nastassja. “Emerging hubs like Joinville mirror regions such as Bern, where deep industrial roots meet digital transformation.”

🔍 Where AI Can Thrive in Brazil

When asked which sectors are best positioned to adopt AI rapidly, she points to:

-Industry (especially automation, predictive maintenance, and quality control)

-Healthcare (triage, diagnostics, hospital management)

-Precision agriculture

-Logistics

“These are data-rich, operationally complex areas. They are perfect environments for AI to deliver measurable and impactful results,” she explains.

🌐 Global Potential, Local Creativity

Despite structural challenges, Brazilian AI solutions are drawing global attention for their flexibility and cost-efficiency.

“Many Brazilian projects are ready to scale,” Nastassja notes.

“What they often need is strategic support for internationalization and visibility. Switzerland, and the Canton of Bern in particular, can offer funding, structured guidance, and access to excellence networks such as CSEM, the University of Bern, and our national innovation parks.”

🤝A New Era of Cooperation: Bern and Santa Catarina Join Forces for Innovation

Adding to this momentum, a significant milestone was recently achieved. In June 2025, the State of Santa Catarina and the Economic Promotion Agency of the Canton of Bern officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The goal is to establish a structured collaboration between both ecosystems, with a focus on artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, healthcare, and sustainability.

“This agreement reflects a shared ambition — to connect industrial regions with strong technological transformation capabilities and a solution-oriented mindset,” says Nastassja von Gunten. “The Canton of Bern has the potential to become a natural and strategic gateway for companies from Santa Catarina to enter Europe — a true hub for soft-landing, co-creation, and internationalization.”

Thanks to this partnership, innovative companies from Santa Catarina will gain smoother access to the Swiss ecosystem, opening up concrete opportunities to collaborate with universities, research centers, and industrial networks at the heart of Europe.

At the same time, Swiss companies and institutions will enjoy privileged access to one of Brazil’s most dynamic tech hubs.

Nastassja highlights that Brazil is more than just a destination for investment. It is a partner in innovation. “Brazil is both a test market and a creative powerhouse. What sets it apart is its capacity for co-creation,” she says. “This is the type of collaboration we aim to strengthen through soft landing programs and bilateral innovation missions between Brazil and Switzerland.”

At FORVM, we are proud to promote this exchange between ecosystems and support companies ready to participate in this global innovation journey.