CERTI Foundation

With the goal of promoting competitiveness and exports in the Biofuels sector, the CELAB project had the challenge of preparing 35 laboratories in various regions of Brazil to conduct testing in accord with internationally accepted standards and to seek accreditation from INMETRO. The project was coordinated and executed by CERTI, in partnership with the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute [IBP], and financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology and FINEP, the federal Research and Study Finance Agency. An innovative concept was developed for a flexible Training and Assistance Program, which was improved for laboratory networks, using concepts of interactivity at a distance and a web portal as a communication center, providing technical content, collaboration between laboratories and visibility of results. This allowed reducing the funds the financial agency needed to provide for travel expenses by up to 50% and by 25% in costs for specialists, when compared to a traditional training process. It achieved accreditation of 25 new laboratories and consolidation of the scope of biofuel tests at 10 previously accredited laboratories, promoting competent compliance with the needs of the productive sector in 20 Brazilian states and the Federal District.