The Minas Gerais IT market has approximately 5 thousand companies, with an annual income of R$ 2.3 billion, generating around 33 thousand direct jobs. 70% of them are in the Greater Belo Horizonte Region. Minas Gerais also has 25 technology-based company incubators linked to the Minas Gerais Innovation Network (RMI) and approximately 159 incubators.

Public Support

The MGTI 2022 Program aims to put Minas Gerais on the national and international map in IT. It was designed to qualify, generate businesses, adapt the regulatory system and create a business hub of technology, information and entrepreneurship (TIE). Four significant IT entities came together for MGTI – Assespro-MG, Fumsoft, SINDINFOR and Sucesu Minas – in partnership with the federal, state and the Belo Horizonte municipal government. There is also the Acelera-MGTI program, providing opportunities for investment, contact with other companies and mentors, as well as basic services included in the process of acceleration of companies approved in the program.

Hardware

Minas Gerais is the headquarters of two Data Center companies: Ativas, with 11,000 sq meters built up area, with the most up-to-date environmental, sustainability and energy efficiency international parameters, and Algar Tecnologia, with two data centers in Uberlândia.

Software

In Belo Horizonte, there is an important technological hub in which software companies are organized in a cluster for development: Software BH. Minas Gerais is home to some large IT companies. A great number, are located in Belo Horizonte and the Greater Belo Horizonte Region, but some have spread to other cities. Google, for example, has a Research and Development Center in Belo Horizonte, the only one in Latin America. SAP is strengthening its operations in the state, and have identified the Triangulo Mineiro Region as a strategic location. Microsoft also has a branch in Belo Horizonte aiming to establish and increase partnerships in the region. There are also other companies in the state, such as Sankhya, Infosys, Avenue Code, Totvs e Algar Tech.

Labor
In 2014, 860 students were trained in computer science and engineering in Minas Gerais, and about 2800 in various areas of information technology at undergraduate level. The state has 29 higher education institutions providing computer engineering courses and 18 institutions have undergraduate courses in information systems. There are also 8 institutions offering master’s degrees in computer sciences, as well as 3 doctoral courses.
Recognized as one of the best universities in the country, with grade 7 in computer science course, the Federal University of Minas Gerais helps to supply the needs for qualified professionals in Belo Horizonte. Another technology development hub in the state is Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in which the National Telecommunications Institute – INATEL – provides undergraduate, graduate and master’s courses in engineering, telecommunication and information.