• Highlights

• In 2024, all the 10,167 companies with 100 or more employed persons in Mining and quarrying and manufacturing industries used digital information in their activities.
• In 2024, 89.1% of the companies surveyed used at least one the following advanced digital Technologies: Big data analysis; Cloud computing; Artificial intelligence; the Internet of Things, Additive manufacturing or Robotics.
• In 2024, 41.9% of the companies surveyed used Artificial Intelligence. This technology did not record the highest utilization rate, but the biggest increase: 25 percentage points from 2022 (16.9%).
• The main areas in terms of Artificial Intelligence use were Administration (87.9%), Commercialization (75,2%) and Development of projects, processes and services (73,1%).
• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) was used by one out of five (20.3%) companies surveyed, in 2024, with an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 2022 (19.2%).
• As for the use of advanced digital technology, the rise of efficiency (90.3%) and the higher flexibility in administration, production and organization processes (89.5%) are the most reported benefits by companies.
• Remote work was adopted by 42.9% of the companies with 100 or more employed persons. In 2022, this figure was 47.8%.
• In 2024, 85.7% of the companies surveyed adopted some type of measure aimed at digital information security, among which the Antivirus stands out.

Semiannual Pintec showed that, in 2024, all the 10,167 companies with 100 or more employed persons, in the Mining and quarrying and Manufacturing segment, used digital information in at least one of its areas/business functions.

More than 90.0% of the companies surveyed used digital information to a certain extent, considering partial or predominant use, in 2024. All the areas/business functions recorded increases from 2022, except Administration, which kept the same percentage.

In 2024, as for the area of Administration, almost all the companies (99.4%) had some level of digitalization of their activities. Logistics and Commercialization also stood out: 94.4% and 95% of the companies, respectively. The least digital functions were related to creation and production: Development of projects, processes and services (91.7%) and Production (92.4%).

In 2024, 92.4% of the companies had some extent of digitalization (partially or predominantly) in the area of production, 2.2 percentage points above 2022 (90.2%). In the area of commercialization, 95% of the companies had some level of digitalization  (partially or predominantly), 1.2 percentage points above 2022 (93.8%).

Artificial Intelligence grew the most among digital technologies

In 2024, of the 10,167 companies with 100 or more employed persons in Mining and quarrying and Manufacturing industry, 9,054 (or 89.1%) used at least one of the advanced digital technologies investigated in the survey: Big data analysis; Cloud computing; Artificial intelligence; the Internet of Things, Additive manufacturing and Robotics.

In 2024, all the advanced digital technologies recorded an increase in rates from 2022. Cloud computing was the one most often used by companies (77.2%) in 2024. The Internet of Things (50.3%), Artificial Intelligence (41.9%) and Robotics (30.5%) followed. In 2022, the percentages of use of these three technologies were 73.6%, 48.6% and 27.7%, respectively.

The percentage of Artificial Intelligence use (41.9%) in 2024 was not the highest, but recorded the biggest increase: 25 percentage points from 2022 (16.9%). The areas makisg most use of Artificial intelligence were Administration (87.9%), Commercialization (75.2%) and Development of projects on products, processes and services (73.1%). Production (52.0%) followed, with a drop of 4.4 percentage points from 2022 (56.4%).

The Internet of Things was the second mostly used advanced technology in 2024. The biggest proportion of companies using it were concentrated in Production (82%), with an increase of 4.9 percentage points against 2022 (77.1%). Administration (72.2%), Development of projects on products, processes and services (67.9%), Logistics (65.5%) and Commercialization (61.6%) recorded decreases from 2022.

Big data analysis is used by 27.8% of the companies investigated

In 2024, of the 10.167 industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons, 27.8% (or  2,823 companies) made use of Big data analysis in their business areas/functions. The use of technology increased by 4.4 percentage points against 2022 (23.4%).

The highest utilization rates Big data analysis belonged to the areas of Administration (90.7%) and Commercialization (88.4%). The areas of Development of projects on products, processes and services (85.7%), Production (84.5%) and Logistics (79.4%) follow. All the area recorded increases against 2022.

77.2% of the companies used Cloud computing 

In 2024, of the 10,167 industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons, 7,849 made use of Cloud computing technology in at least one of its business areas/functions, that is, 77.2% used paid or pre-paid Cloud computing services. The use of this technology increased by 3.6 percentage points against 2022 (73.6%).

The use of Cloud computing in 2024 was at least 70% in all the business areas/functions of companies, on an upward trend. Administration (94.9%) and Commercialization (82.5%) made most use of these services, followed by Development of projects on products, processes and services (77.3%), Logistics (75%), and Production (73%). 

The area of Production stands out in terms of the located use of Cloud computing, with a percentage of 73%, followed by Logistics (68.1%), Development of projects on products, processes and services (67.7%), Commercialization (60%) and Administration (57%).

Utilization rate in Additive manufacturing (3D printing) reaches 20.3%

Additive manufacturing is the most often used technology by one out of five (20.3%) industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons in 2024. The use of this technology increased by 1.1 percentage points from 2022 (19.2%). This technology is associated with the use of 3D printing for the creation of tridimensional physical objects, by means of digital technology. Its use, in association with other digital Technologies, has become even more relevant in a moment of more automation of industrial process and product customization.

In 2024, the areas of Production, Logistics and Development of projects on products, processes and services were those where the biggest proportion of companies used Additive manufacturing at local level: 87.3%, 84.0% and 80.6%, respectively. In the area, Commercialization, 24.0% of companies used this technology broadly, and in Administration, 20.7%.

30.5% of the companies surveyed used Robotics

The survey shows that, of the 10,167 companies with 100 or more employed persons in 2024, 3,098 (30.5%) employed Robotics in their activities. The use of this technology increased 2.8 percentage points from 2022 (27.7%). 

In 2024, the use of Robotics was mostly found in Production (92.8%) and Development of projects (55.6%). The percentage of utilization in Production increased from 2022 (90.4%) but Development of projects decreased, against 63.1% in 2022.

The survey shows that 35.7% of the companies used Robotics in Logistics, whereas 22.8% in Commercialization. The area of Administration, responsible for the management of most of these processes, had a percentage of 28.3%.

27.3% of companies used two advanced digital technologies 

In 2024, of the 9,054 industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons who used some type of advanced digital technology, 20.8% used only one of the technologies surveyed. Most of the companies surveyed (27.3%) made use of two technologies and only 5% (451 companies) made use of all the advanced digital technologies.

Although the highest frequencies of use are of one technology or two technologies combined, these proportions were the only ones recording decrease from 2022 to 2024. On the other hand, the biggest percentage increases were in the use of three and four technologies combined (20.5% to 23.2%,) and in the use of four technologies (from 10.4% to 15.2%).

Increase in efficiency is the best benefit reported

In 2024, 97.9% of the companies that reported the use of digital technology  mentioned some kind of benefit. Increase in efficiency was the most reported benefit for 90.3%, an increase of 2.7 p.p from 2022. In second place, More flexibility in administration, production and organization processes, the most reported benefit in 2022 (89.8%), now recorded 89.5%. In both cases, large-sized companies were the best served ones, respectively, 95.9% and 92.9% of the companies with more than 500 employed persons.

 With the same percentage recorded in 2022, Improvement in the relationship with clients and/or suppliers was mentioned by 85.6%, being in the third position. In the fourth and sixth positions: More efficiency in serving the market, which benefited 82.9% of the companies (a drop of 1.8%); and More capacity to develop new products or services with 74.7% (a drop of 1.2%). The least reported benefit was Entry to new mar new markets, with 43.8%. 

Reduction of environmental impact, reported by 74.1% of the companies, increased 2 p.p from 2022 (72.1%). In this case, companies with 250 to 499 employed persons were, relatively, the most benefited ones (76.9%).

Autonomous strategy is the main contributor to technology implementation

The survey showed that 98.2% of the companies with advanced digital technology reported some type of factor adding to the adoption of advanced digital technologies. In 2024, once again, Autonomous company strategy with 88.6% was the main factor. That new level means an increase of 1.6 p.p. This preference may be related to the increase in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of companies; necessity of a R&D department; expansion of innovation projects; besides issues related to the intention of expanding Industry 4.0 products.

Other contributions mentioned were Influence of suppliers or clients (62.6%), representing stability against 2022 (63%); Influence of competitors (51.9%), an increase of 1.1%; and, with 28.0%, Capacity to attract (public or private support programs), an increase of 2 p.p. Among the other factors (1.3%) are aspects related to the environment, the need to process a big amount of data, compliance with requirements from public authorities, more interaction with researchers from universities and Science and Technology Institutes (ICTs), interaction with startups and norms related to health and safety.

This edition of PINTEC also brought a new piece of information: 9.1% of the industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons used some type of public support program aimed at the promotion of advanced digital technologies, and large-sized companies were the most benefited ones, proportionally. Of the total companies with 500 or more employed persons, 13.9% used some type of program, whereas, respectively, 9.5% and 7.1%, of the companies with 250 to 499 and with 100 to 249 employed persons had some type of incentive.  

Companies report fewer difficulties in the adoption of advanced digital technologies  

Among the companies that adopted advanced digital technological strategies, 92.5% mentioned a factor that led to difficulties in the use of these technology in the many business areas/functions  of industrial companies with 100 or more employed persons, a drop of 0.8 p.p from 2022 (93.3%).

Also, almost all types of difficulties in the adoption of advanced digital technologies decreased from 2022. High costs of technological solutions was the most reported factor  (78.6%), with a drop of 2.2 p.p. against 2022. Lack of qualified employees , mentioned by 54.2%, decreased 0.4 p.p. And Risks related to privacy and security went from 49.5% to 47.2%.

Difficulty in the integration of business areas went from 47.3%, in 2022, to 45.1%, in 2024. However, the main drop was that of Adequate telecommunications infrastructure which fell 6.5 p.p, with a change from 41.2% to 34.7%. The least mentioned factor was Difficulty in the integration between  of suppliers and clients, with 31.9%, a drop of 3.0 p.p.

The factors causing affecting the adoption of advanced digital technologies were relatively more often mentioned by companies with 500 or more employed persons. Proportionally, two factors accounted for the biggest difficulties in companies with 100 to 249 employed persons: Limited knowledge about the available technologies and Inadequate telecommunications infrastructure. In the former case, 41.1% of the companies with 100 to 249 employed persons mentioned such difficulty, versus 35,7% and 38.3%, respectively, of companies with 250 to 499 and with 500 or more employed persons. In the latter, this proportion was 36.5% of the companies with 100 to 249 employed persons; 30.8% for those with 250 to 499 persons; and 34.0% of companies with 500 or more employed persons.

Lack of qualification is the main obstacle to the application of technology

Of the companies with 100 or more employed persons, 10.9% did not adopt any of the digital technologies investigated in 2024. In this group, 95.2% reported some type of factor that, somehow, contributed to companies not to implement advanced digital technologies.

In 2024, Lack of qualified persons in the company was the reason recording the biggest increase in relation to 2022, with a change from 46.4% to 60.6%. On the other hand, Lack of knowledge about technologies and their potential benefits was the factor exerting the least influence on companies not to adopt them (38.6%), an increase of 6.4 p.p. However, in 2024, the survey shows that the High costs of technological solutions was the most often reported, by 74.3% of companies not using and of the advanced digital technologies, an increase of 4 p.p from 2022.

The factor The company did not identify the need to adopt  advanced digital technologies was indicated by 54%, an increase of 1.5 p.p. Scarcity of supply of foster and support programs (either public or private) affected 48.5%, an increase of 3.4 p.p. Scarcity of financial resources affected 50.8% of the companies surveyed, a positive variation of 1.2 p.p.

Adoption of remote work drops from 47.8% to 42.9%, from 2022 to 2024 

Semiannual Pintec showed that 42.9% of companies with 100 or more employed persons adopted remote work in their business areas/functions in 2024. In 2022, the rate was 47.8%. With stability, the Administration Sector remains as the area or function that most adopts remote work with 94.6%. In this group, companies with 500 or more employed persons were the ones that relatively adopted this mode in this area (98.4%).

The areas Commercialization and Development of projects on products, processes and services are in the sequence with, respectively, 85.0% and 66.4% of the companies using remote work in 2024. In companies with 100 to 249 employed persons, the biggest proportion (85.6%) adopted remote work in the area of Commercialization, whereas companies with 500 or more employed persons were the ones most using remote work (72.2%) in Development of projects on products, processes and services.

Once more, Production was the area that least used remote work with 35.5%, in 2024. In 2022, it represented 38.7%. Companies with 100 to 249 employed persons were the ones that used remote work (32.7%), whereas those with 250 to 499 employed persons benefited the most from this mode (39.2%).

85.7% of the companies adopt information security measures 

Em 2024, 85,7% das empresas com 100 ou mais pessoas ocupadas, pertencentes às Indústrias extrativas e de transformação, adotaram alguma medida para segurança da informação digital.

As in 2022, the most often chosen security measure in 2024 was Antivirus with 98.4%. the measure has the objective of detecting and eliminating harmful programs, which are common as malicious software (malware) and fraudulent e-mails (phishing). Despite the drop of 1.1 p.p, Control of access to the network is the second most adopted measure  (95.7%).

The most employed one Software update (95.3%), Backup of data in a separate device (94.9%), User identification and authentication (90.9%) and Maintenance of log files for analysis (69.4%). However, the security measure that increased the most from 2022, was Data, document and e-mail encryption techniques, which went from 60.6% to 68.2%.

Education and training campaigns and training of employees in corporate cyber security was one of the least used measures by companies, with 55.9%. In 2022, the figure was 56.9%.

Finally, companies with 500 or more employed persons recorded the biggest use of digital information security measures (97.0%), followed by companies with 250 to 499 employed persons (88.8%) and with 100 to 249 employed persons (80.4%).

More about the survey

The Innovation Survey - PINTEC began in 2000, with national results for the 1998-2000 period. It followed the guidelines established in the Oslo Manual of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), aiming at international comparability of information. PINTEC provides information for the construction of sectoral, regional, and national indicators of the innovation activities of Brazilian companies with 10 or more employed persons, focusing on mining and quarrying and manufacturing industries, as well as the Electricity and Gas and Selected Services sectors.

Starting in 2021, a new survey began, derived from PINTEC, but with a different sample, data collection method, and content. This survey, the Semiannual Innovation Survey (PINTEC Semestral), Semiannual Innovation Survey - Semiannual PINTEC, a partnership between the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), aims to provide indicators of innovation and related topics in a more timely manner than the traditional PINTEC. The Semiannual PINTEC provides information for the development of sectoral and national indicators of the innovation activities of Brazilian companies with 100 or more employed persons.