Nautical Innovation Hub Proposed for the Baixada Santista region

At AEAS headquarters, possibilities for boosting the nautical industry were discussed on Friday morning (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

Representatives from the Associação de Engenheiros e Arquitetos de Santos (AEAS), the Centro das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (Ciesp), and private sector entities presented on Friday (25), in Santos, a proposal to create a nautical industry innovation hub in the Baixada Santista region.

The meeting brought together municipal secretaries from the region with the goal of drawing attention to the initiative, which aims to nationally promote the industrial sector starting from the Baixada Santista region.

According to Gontran Parente, a lawyer from Santos and founder of SPHidro SA – a company focused on hydro transport that already operates in São Paulo’s capital – the proposal includes forming an intermunicipal consortium to compete for and secure a public-private partnership (PPP) contract for the state’s crossing systems.

“We want to form a robust consortium to participate in and win this bid, enabling the development of the Porto-Indústria project in the Baixada Santista. The hub would focus on manufacturing passenger vessels, security boats, armored models for the Navy and police forces, vessels for customs use, and garbage collection boats for rivers. All these projects are ready for execution,” Parente explained.

Modernization and Technology The proposal is supported by the Navega Mais Brasil program, an initiative that unites private companies and institutions such as AEAS and the Fórum Brasil de Turismo Cultural. The program also supports the construction of vessel prototypes made of aluminum, powered by electric combustion engines or hybrid models.

According to Sérgio França, CEO of the Fórum and coordinator of the program, these vessels will undergo operational tests to demonstrate their efficiency and feasibility.

“These operational tests act as development drivers for a high-tech naval industrial sector. This allows us to collaborate with companies to participate in the crossing system bids and strengthen the entire nautical industry’s production chain. This movement brings benefits such as job creation, economic development, and increased tax revenue,” França explained.

Currently, there is a vessel development unit in Guarujá, and SPHidro’s plan includes expanding to other cities in the region.

“Cubatão and São Vicente have already expressed interest in production plants, while Guarujá plans to expand its facilities. This system of nautical mobility interconnecting the cities benefits everyone,” França said.

The CEO also emphasized that winning the bid to operate crossing services would be a critical step for boosting the sector. “The crossing service is a major contract, and it allows for significant investments. Large contracts provide the structure needed to benefit smaller contracts as well.”

Impact Studies Additionally, César Massaro, an engineer associated with AEAS and a researcher at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), highlighted the association’s role in supporting the promotion and coordination of hydro solutions for the region.

He revealed that municipalities were advised to conduct socio-economic and environmental impact studies on the introduction of passenger and cargo hydro services.

“Each city has different needs and priorities, but it is essential they understand the potential of a systemic hydro solution for the Baixada Santista. These studies will help municipalities comprehend the impacts and benefits, allowing them to maximize the advantages of this mobility model,” Massaro clarified.