market for our commercial and military products. I think we are well-positioned to grow with our Brazilian partners.” Recently, BR&T-Brazil moved into a new facility at a technology park in São Jose dos Campos, near other government, business and academic research centers. Boeing Brazil has also extended its outreach to the general public by sponsoring a major advertising campaign that depicted Boeing as a longtime partner of Brazil. Brazil’s future success in aviation and aerospace depends, in large part, on having a well-educated workforce, Hrinak explained, and since its opening in 2011, Boeing Brazil has been a strong supporter of education. 30 Frontiers April 2014 It began by playing an important role in the government’s Brazil Scientific Mobility program (originally called Science Without Borders). Boeing helped kick it off by accepting 14 Brazilian aerospace engineering students in a “180 degrees of support” program, which includes internships, work with a Boeing mentor and trips to Boeing sites in the United States. “We are now moving to the next level by offering exchange programs to postdoctoral students,” said Al Bryant, managing director, BR&T-Brazil. Brazil continues to be a strong market for Boeing products. In October 2012, for example, GOL, Brazil’s largest low-cost airline, placed an order for 60 737 MAX jetliners—the largest airplane order from a single airline in South America’s aviation history. The 737 has long been used to serve the heavily traveled “air bridge” between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. There also have been disappointments. In December 2013, following a spirited competition, the Brazilian government announced that the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet would not be selected to meet the Brazilian Air Force’s requirement for fighter aircraft. “While the decision was disappointing, it in no way diminishes the company’s ongoing commitment to expand its involvement in Brazil,” Hrinak said. “Our participation in this
Frontiers April 2014 Issue
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