What SENAI does

SENAI SC (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial - Departamento Regional de Santa Catarina) is a Brazilian private, non-profit industrial education and applied research institution founded in 1942, headquartered in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. It operates under the FIESC (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa Catarina) umbrella, is maintained by industry contributions, and is permanently supervised by the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU) with its budget ratified by Brazil's Ministry of Labor and Employment. Describing itself as the largest private professional education complex in Latin America, SENAI SC has trained more than 200,000 students across 28+ industrial areas and operates across 11+ physical units in Santa Catarina, plugging into a national network of 80+ SENAI Innovation and Technology Institutes.

The organization's offerings sit across three integrated pillars: (i) vocational and higher education through technical courses, apprenticeship programs, and UniSENAI undergraduate and graduate degrees; (ii) corporate education with customized workforce qualification; and (iii) Innovation and Technology Institutes delivering applied R&D, metrology, consulting and lab services across specialized domains including advanced manufacturing, embedded systems, textiles, food and beverages, ceramics, electric mobility, wood/furniture, and operational excellence/laser processing. Technology outputs include the offshore painting robot deployed on Petrobras's P-35 platform (2,500+ operating hours, recovery of 2,000+ m², 8 patents), an AI/IoT-controlled multi-port DC-DC smart converter for green hydrogen with CTG Brasil and Itaipu Parquetec, L-DED additive manufacturing repair and 3D printing services, and the Boia Bravo offshore wind measurement buoy integrating lidar with satellite connectivity.

The business model is multi-stream and primarily fee-for-service professional services: vocational tuition and corporate training programs, applied research projects funded jointly with client companies, and laboratory/metrology/proficiency testing (PEP) services. Projects are frequently co-financed through Brazilian development agencies — BNDES, FINEP, EMBRAPII, ANEEL and ANP — making SENAI SC an "orchestrator" that connects enterprise clients (Petrobras, Stellantis, WEG, CTG Brasil, Itaipu Parquetec, Ming Yang Smart Energy, Shizen Energy, among others) to specialized infrastructure, PhD-level talent and public innovation funding. The sales motion is sales-led and diagnostic-driven, with project origination through direct specialist engagement rather than self-serve channels.

Name

SENAI

Legal name

Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial

Website

https://sc.senai.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SENAI SC is a Brazilian non-profit industrial education and applied research institution delivering vocational training, higher education (UniSENAI), and R&D services through 11+ specialized institutes, serving industrial clients across manufacturing, energy, oil and gas, automotive, textiles, and food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Vocational Education and Applied Technology Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Career & Technical Education (CTE) & Trade Skills Media (EDAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM), Quality, Process Improvement & Lean/Six Sigma Certifications (EDAAANAC)

Keywords

• Vocational education services
• Industrial training programs
• Applied research consulting
• Metrology and testing
• Corporate workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Florianópolis

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Education Services: SENAI SC generates revenue through professional technical courses, vocational training, undergraduate and graduate programs (UniSENAI), continuing education, and corporate qualification programs. Revenue also comes from customized corporate training programs under the corporate education umbrella.
2. Innovation and Technology Services: Revenue from applied research projects, technology consulting, metrology and laboratory services, and innovation project management. Projects are often co-funded through development agencies (BNDES, FINEP, Embrapii) in partnership with client companies.
3. Laboratory and Testing Services: Metrology services, material testing, compliance testing, proficiency testing programs, and certified reference materials provided to industry clients on a fee-for-service basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SENAI SC provides industrial education and applied technology services across Brazil, delivering vocational and technical training, higher education (UniSENAI), customized corporate training, applied research, technology consulting, metrology, and certified laboratory testing. Its Innovation and Technology Institutes network conducts proprietary R&D in advanced manufacturing, bioeconomy, low-carbon energy, additive manufacturing, robotics, and AI for industrial clients, complemented by proficiency testing programs and certified reference materials.

Product overview

SENAI is Brazil's National Service for Industrial Learning, operating as the largest private vocational education complex in Latin America. The organization offers a unified portfolio comprising vocational education (technical courses, professional courses, industrial apprenticeship), higher education (undergraduate, postgraduate, extension programs via UniSENAI), and corporate education services. Complementing its educational offerings, SENAI operates a network of Innovation and Technology Institutes providing R&D, applied research, metrology, and specialized consulting services across multiple industrial domains including manufacturing, embedded systems, textiles, food, environment, and sustainability. The product architecture combines educational services with technology services, where the institutes serve as the technology arm providing PD&I, consultancies, and laboratory services that support both the educational mission and industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Institutos SENAI de Inovação e Tecnologia: Network of technology and innovation institutes providing research, development, and innovation services for industry
• Hub de Descarbonização
• Bioeconomia
• Economia de Baixo Carbono e Transição Energética
• Manufatura Avançada
• Instituto SENAI de Tecnologia em Têxtil, Vestuário e Design

Products and services

• Educação Profissional (Professional Education) Vocational and professional education services including technical courses (Cursos Técnicos), professional courses (Cursos Profissionais), and industrial apprenticeship programs (Aprendizagem Industrial) for individuals seeking careers in industry.
• UniSENAI Higher Education (Ensino Superior) Higher education offerings including undergraduate degrees (Graduação), postgraduate programs (Pós-Graduação), and extension courses (Extensão) through UniSENAI, focused on qualifying professionals for industry.
• Educação Corporativa (Corporate Education) Customized corporate training and qualification solutions including skills development, industrial apprenticeship for enterprises, technical courses for industry, and mobile school (Escola Móvel) services.
• Institutos SENAI de Inovação e Tecnologia (SENAI Innovation and Technology Institutes) National network of technology and innovation institutes providing R&D, applied research, technology consultancies, and metrology services across specialized areas including manufacturing systems, embedded systems, electric mobility, textiles, food and beverages, environment, ceramics, wood and furniture, operational excellence, and laser processing.
• Serviços de Metrologia e Ensaio (Metrology and Testing Services) Laboratory testing and metrology services for product validation, compliance attestation, and quality control across various industrial sectors.
• Provedor de Ensaios de Proficiência (PEP) - Proficiency Testing Provider Proficiency testing services for laboratories, providing interlaboratory comparisons to ensure measurement reliability and support laboratory accreditation, compliant with ISO/IEC 17043, with Z-score performance evaluation and analytical reports.
• Materiais de Referência Certificados (MRC) - Certified Reference Materials Certified reference materials for internal quality control and calibration of critical processes in industrial laboratories.
• Consultoria em Eficiência Operacional (Operational Efficiency Consulting) Operational efficiency consulting services including lean manufacturing, process optimization, computational simulation (achieving 50% capacity gains for clients), SMED, 5S, and continuous improvement methodologies for industrial operations.
• Consultoria ESG (ESG and Sustainability Consulting) Environmental, social, and governance consulting services helping industries implement sustainable practices aligned with market requirements, including decarbonization initiatives and low-carbon economy transition support.
• Robótica as a Service (Robotics as a Service) Custom robotics solutions developed on demand for specific industrial challenges, including collaborative robots, painting robots, and specialized robotic systems such as the offshore painting robot that achieved 2,500 hours of operation on Petrobras platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% production capacity increase for Fundição Altona through computational simulation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Shizen Energy GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Shizen Energy Group is part of an 8-developer coalition advancing offshore wind projects in Brazil. A pilot R&D project led by SENAI with Shizen participation is underway in Rio Grande do Norte, expected to begin operations by late 2028. This represents Brazil's first offshore wind pilot project in the sector's early development stage.
• EsteycocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEsteyco is participating alongside SENAI and Dois A Engenharia in a pilot R&D project for offshore wind in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, expected to operate by late 2028.
• Dois A EngenhariacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDois A Engenharia is participating alongside SENAI and Esteyco in a pilot R&D project for offshore wind in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, expected to operate by late 2028.
• Ming Yang Smart EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMing Yang signed a memorandum of understanding with Blue Aspirations Brasil and a letter of intent with SENAI-RN for an Areia Branca offshore wind pilot, which would become Brazil's first offshore wind test and demonstration facility with preliminary environmental approval. The partnership combines Ming Yang's fixed and floating turbine technologies with SENAI's local expertise.
• Blue Aspirations BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Aspirations Brasil signed an MoU with Ming Yang to explore offshore wind potential in Brazil, combining fixed and floating turbine technologies with local expertise through the SENAI-RN partnership for the Areia Branca offshore wind pilot.
• CTG BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTG Brasil initiated an ANEEL project executed in partnership with SENAI Innovation Institute in Embedded Systems and Itaipu Parquetec to develop a smart multi-port DC-DC converter for green hydrogen production with AI and IoT control, achieving 13% energy efficiency gain.
• Itaipu ParqueteccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItaipu Parquetec partnered with CTG Brasil and SENAI Embedded Systems Innovation Institute on an ANEEL project to develop innovative green hydrogen production technology through a smart converter system integrating photovoltaic, wind and sodium battery sources.
• StellantiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStellantis partnered with SENAI SC, WEG and FuelTech on an electric retrofit project converting combustion engine vehicles to 100% electric through powertrain replacement and battery kit installation, enabling sustainable mobility for corporate fleets.
• WEGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEG partnered with SENAI SC, Stellantis and FuelTech on an electric vehicle retrofit project developing powertrain and battery kit solutions for converting commercial vehicles to electric propulsion.
• FuelTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuelTech partnered with SENAI SC, Stellantis and WEG on an electric vehicle retrofit project contributing conversion technology expertise for transforming internal combustion vehicles to electric.
• Musa da TerracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusa da Terra partnered with SENAI Technology Institute in Textile to develop banana stem fiber into sustainable textile, transforming agricultural waste into industrial-scale fabric with excellent aesthetic qualities.
• EuroFioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuroFios partnered with SENAI Textile Institute and Musa da Terra on the Banana Textile project developing sustainable fiber from banana plant stems for industrial textile production.
• AltenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAltenburg partnered with SENAI Textile Institute on the Banana Textile project contributing textile manufacturing expertise to the sustainable fiber development initiative.
• Pacoa EcocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacoa Eco partnered with SENAI Textile Institute on the Banana Textile project, contributing to the development and commercialization of sustainable textile from agricultural waste.
• PetrobrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENAI SC and Petrobras collaborated on an offshore painting robot project starting in 2015, creating automation for platform surface preparation, painting and inspection. The robot operated successfully on the P-35 platform in the Campos Basin, recovering over 2,000 m² of platforms with 8 patents generated.
• PetrobrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPetrobras partnered with SENAI on the Autonomy and Income Program (Programa Autonomia e Renda), offering 12,000 free technical course spots with scholarships up to R$ 700/month for youth aged 17-22, targeting Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and RPA sectors.
• EMBRAPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMBRAPA is a strategic partner for bioeconomy projects, collaborating on biotechnology research including cultivated meat prospecção with multi-omic analysis and AI applications, funded through EMBRAPII.
• EPAGRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPAGRI collaborates with SENAI SC on bioeconomy and biotechnology projects, contributing agricultural research expertise to sustainable industry solutions.
• Convênio Nacional dos EstudantescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENAI and SESI Santa Catarina partner with the Convênio Nacional dos Estudantes for student ID issuance, providing official Carteira de Identificação Estudantil (CIE) with digital certificate valid throughout Brazil under Law 12.933/2013.
• UniSENAIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniSENAI is the higher education arm of SENAI SC offering undergraduate and graduate programs with industrial DNA, aligned with SENAI's technology and innovation ecosystem for workforce development.
• Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU)coreOthersSENAI is permanently supervised by the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU) and its budget is ratified by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, providing institutional credibility and transparency through rigorous oversight.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera for Business: Enterprise online learning platform with broad corporate training offerings. Comparable as a corporate education channel, though lacks SENAI's hands-on labs, applied R&D, and physical institute infrastructure.
• CATI SENAI Network (national SENAI system): The national SENAI network across all 27 Brazilian states — direct institutional peer and parent ecosystem of SENAI SC. Comparable in offering identical education + R&D services but at national rather than regional scale.
• Instituto Europeo de Innovación y Tecnología (EIT): EU body integrating education, research, and business across knowledge and innovation communities. Comparable institutional role in orchestrating applied R&D, training, and industry partnerships at scale.

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Society (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft): Germany's applied research organization operating 76 institutes with applied R&D for industry. Closely analogous to SENAI's Innovation and Technology Institutes model — combining contract research, technology transfer, and talent development for industrial clients.
• CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique): Swiss applied research organization providing R&D and technology transfer across embedded systems, manufacturing, and energy — directly comparable to SENAI's IST Embedded Systems institute and embedded electronics work with CTG Brasil.
• CETYS Universidad / Tecnológico de Monterrey: Mexican private universities with strong industry-aligned engineering and applied research programs. Comparable as Latin American technical higher education institutions (akin to UniSENAI) with industry-embedded research.
• TWI Ltd (The Welding Institute): UK-based industrial R&D organization providing welding, joining, and materials technology services to industry globally. Comparable to SENAI's applied manufacturing R&D including L-DED, additive manufacturing, and the offshore painting robot work with Petrobras.

Regional players

• SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje): Colombia's national vocational training institution providing industrial training, technical education, and applied research. Most direct Latin American analog to SENAI — same mandate, similar non-profit/parafiscal structure, though operating in Colombia rather than Brazil.
• Servicio Español para la Internacionalización de la Educación (SEPIE): Spanish government-backed vocational education and training coordination body. Regional analog for the institutional coordination of vocational education tied to industry needs.
• INACAP (Instituto Nacional de Capacitación): Chile's technical training institution providing vocational education and applied technology services to industry. Regional comparable in Latin America for the dual education + R&D mandate that SENAI executes at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SENAISC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/senaiconhecimento
• Facebookfacebook.com/senaisc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/senai-sc---servi-o-nacional-de-aprendizagem-industrial
• Instagraminstagram.com/institutosenaisc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SENAI