Investments in education, research and innovation mark the period and transform the region
Anyone who drives along the PR 182 highway will notice a constant pace of construction, with men and machines working on several fronts. This landscape has been common since the launch of Biopark – Western Paraná Technology Park in 2016, and in a short time, it transformed the exclusively agricultural region into an urban area of the municipality of Toledo.
But the transformation that has taken place in recent years goes far beyond the territorial aspect. Education, one of the main pillars of Biopark, is advancing in the development of new projects and opportunities. “Education is one of our ways of positively impacting people’s lives. We do this by offering a modern educational model that is attractive to students and capable of generating research, innovation and new businesses. We believe that this will contribute to having one of the most developed regions in the country in 20 years or less,” says Biopark president Victor Donaduzzi.
By offering scholarships, Biopark Educação makes opportunities more accessible to those who cannot afford them. “In 2024 alone, our scholarship offering exceeded R$1.5 million. This initiative contributed to our being granted the status of Public Utility Entity of Toledo,” says Biopark Educação vice president Paulo Rocha.
With approximately 70% courses approved or recognized with the highest grade by the MEC, Biopark Educação has established itself as the best Higher Education Institution in Western Paraná, and stands out for its employability levels. “Currently, more than 86% of our students are working,” emphasizes Paulo. In the coming years, the institution intends to expand the portfolio of undergraduate courses offered by 40%.
Starting in 2025, Colégio Donaduzzi will begin operating, serving 300 elementary and high school students, with a curriculum that includes a bilingual program and active and personalized teaching methodologies. Another new feature is the area dedicated to developing and delivering on-demand training for companies. “Large corporations such as Prati-Donaduzzi, Frimesa and Coopavel have already endorsed our work,” concludes Paulo.
Search with result
Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) projects are underway in the Biopark laboratories, aiming at practical results. The Embrapa Mixed Research and Innovation Unit (UMIPI) in Western Paraná began its activities at the Biopark, and the NAPI Healthy Foods project, in partnership with the Government of Paraná, received a contribution of R$25 million for applied research. The Biomaterials area and the Fine Cheese Project have also been recognized in national and international events and publications.
Encouraging entrepreneurship
Since its first year of operation, Biopark has offered several benefits to support entrepreneurship. Over the years, opportunities have been improved and expanded, covering everyone from people looking to get an idea off the ground to companies that are already established in the market.
Currently, more than 200 businesses are part of the programs offered by Biopark and more than half of them are present in the territory, occupying coworking spaces, exclusive offices, laboratories and industrial warehouses. “Our main focus in this area from now on will be to foster entrepreneurship in Biopark, seeking and developing companies and entrepreneurs from scratch through incubation and acceleration programs”, highlights Victor.
With the ongoing expansion of the facilities, a new office building is expected to be built soon, focused on serving companies in the technology sector. At the Arno Donaduzzi industrial center, more than a dozen warehouses already house production-based companies. “At Biopark, we have areas that are very favorable for the installation of companies that need large spaces in a great location. An example of this is Prati-Donaduzzi, which has a built area of over 14,000 m2 where its distribution center operates,” adds the president of Biopark.
Structure and security
With the first phase of the university development completed, Biopark is becoming a residential address for students, workers from the companies located there, as well as 'organic' residents, and already has services such as a grocery store, gym, sale of organic products and a pharmacy that is about to open.
“We are paying special attention to the spaces that are part of all the life that circulates in Biopark today. This includes squares, parks, bike paths, walking trails, and rest and event areas. These are spaces that contribute to improving the quality of life, in addition to attracting people to Biopark. We intend to soon present the project for a new leisure space that will certainly benefit not only the residents of Toledo, but also the cities neighboring Biopark,” Donaduzzi says.
To ensure security, a monitoring and security project is being developed for the territory through electronic surveillance, with cameras capable of reading vehicle license plates, directly linked to the Toledo Municipal Guard.
Structured growth
Victor emphasizes that the rapid growth of Biopark requires special attention to internal structures, which allow the progress of all fronts of the enterprise. “We are consolidating the team of collaborators and implementing some technologies to improve management and governance. These are necessary actions to take solid steps towards the future.”
According to the president, the coming months should be marked by major deliveries and the beginning of important works. “Over the past year, the team has focused on projects to release works that are essential for the structured development of the Biopark. We should begin construction of the trench under the PR-182, which will make access to the Biopark and traffic between the areas divided by the highway safer. We also plan to begin the first phase of the stretch we call Eixão, which will connect the urban highway to downtown Toledo. Another important engineering project to which we are dedicating great energy so that it becomes a reality soon is the hospital,” emphasizes Victor.
About Biopark
The Biopark is located in Toledo, western region of Paraná, in an area of over 5 million m². With a focus on regional development through education, research and business generation, Biopark already has more than two thousand people circulating daily in its territory. Currently, more than 180 companies already operate there, generating jobs and progress. Three federal educational institutions are located in Biopark, the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) and the Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR). In 30 years, the Biopark should welcome more than 500 companies, offer 30 thousand jobs and have a population of 75 thousand residents.
