Francisco Dias Neto, Head of Technology, Grupo Moura
We live in an era where technology not only shapes but redefines how we conduct business, social relationships, and the entire ecosystem around us. In this scenario of constant and dizzying change, it is imperative to talk about accelerating the transformation of companies through technology and innovation. This journey requires specific strategies, which, at Grupo Moura—a leader in the battery market in South America—we have mapped out and continuously improved to boost our competitiveness and promote positive change within the organization, the communities where we operate, and the supply chain we lead.
For technology to be a path to efficiency, effectiveness, and transformation, it must be accessible to everyone. Democratizing its use is crucial to ensure that all layers of the organization can contribute to the digitalization and innovation of the business. Spreading technological knowledge allows employees from various sectors to bring their perspectives, insights, and also act as protagonists in the transformational process, enriching it with their experiences and skills. The result is the empowerment of people and the promotion, as a pillar of organizational culture, of intrapreneurship.
Respecting the tradition of our organizational culture, the Moura Business Culture (CEM), and the individuality of our team, we have created an environment conducive to this journey. We put the customer at the center of decisions and set as a goal to generate value for our operations and, consequently, our business.
It is necessary to deconstruct myths in this process. The technology area is not a bottleneck nor merely a cost center, but rather a source of solutions. A change in positioning is essential to create an environment that does not respond to business demands reactively but anticipates and shapes the future. Becoming an echo of solutions means adopting a proactive and flexible mindset, capable of quickly adapting to market changes and trends.
For technology to be a path to efficiency, effectiveness, and transformation, it must be accessible to everyone 
The structural movement in organizational change is positioning the technology area side by side with other areas and also as part of “small,” multidisciplinary teams, focused and divided by product and/or service—in other words, the union of IT + business. This movement enables, among other things, the dissemination of knowledge, governance, and the generation of value. However, it is important to monitor the effectiveness of each step and, when necessary, redirect some paths, which is absolutely common in this movement— especially confusing interdependence with independence. When this happens, the purpose is no longer shared among the parties. Ensuring interconnection between teams and the perception of being a strategic partner by clients, internal and/or external, is fundamental. Being present where things happen, acting not only as a provider of solutions but as an active facilitator and enabler in the transformational journey is the key to success—it is the path to democratizing technology and innovation.
The journey to be taken is not only intra-company, nor does it need to be solitary. To have broad knowledge and execution capacity, it is essential to transform the surroundings into an ecosystem of technology and innovation, meaning mutual collaboration between society, government, universities, and companies. This collaboration creates a virtuous cycle where the company benefits from the talent and knowledge generated by the ecosystem, while also contributing to its formation and growth.
Currently, we have two programs enabling this journey in Belo Jardim, in northeastern Brazil, the city where our battery manufacturing complex—the largest in South America—is located. The most mature, Moura Tech, is a development track and an example of a successful public-private partnership. Together with higher education institutions, we have created a model for training young people in Information Technology careers with specific curricula and high alignment with market demands. Thus, we increase employability and strengthen the qualified workforce in the organization’s hybrid teams. The project has brought such expressive results that the company decided to expand it to other technical training areas.
It is an opportunity to transform lives and consolidate the city and the Agreste region of Pernambuco as a hub for human capital development in technology and innovation. With strong growth potential, the program has been, since its first edition, one of the company’s most important training initiatives, with a hiring rate of over 80% for participating students, and it also reinforces the infrastructure of public partners, with the implementation of two fully equipped laboratories. Currently, there are four ongoing classes focused on careers in industrial automation, energy storage, IT infrastructure, information security, and data & AI, benefiting more than 50 students.
The second initiative, the Technological Innovation Center (CiTech), currently being implemented, is dedicated to research, development, incubation, acceleration, training, and coworking, and aims to transform the city into an innovation hub. The venture has the potential to anchor this ecosystem. The project was awarded resources through a public call from the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) and is executed through a partnership between Moura, IFPE—Belo Jardim Campus, and ITEMM.
Accelerating business transformation through technology requires a holistic approach. From democratizing its use to creating strategic partnerships, empowering people by fostering intrapreneurship, and promoting an ecosystem fed by public and private entities, universities, and society for a better world. These principles not only drive competitiveness but also establish solid foundations for a sustainable and innovative future.