Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Federally funded Brazilian public university operating five campuses across Santa Catarina, delivering tuition-free undergraduate and graduate education, applied research in health diagnostics, aquaculture, energy, and engineering, plus community extension and heritage services to Brazilian society.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersFlorianópolis, Brazil
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) does
The Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) is a Brazilian federal public university founded in 1960 and headquartered on the main Trindade campus in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. It operates five campuses across the state (Florianópolis, Araranguá, Blumenau, Curitibanos, and Joinville) with 5,001–10,000 employees, delivering tuition-free undergraduate and graduate education to Brazilian students admitted through the national vestibular, SiSU centralized system, affirmative action programs, and dedicated refugee selection processes, supplemented by a distance education division (SEAD). The institution serves a broad base of constituents: approximately 1,400 students at the Araranguá campus alone, graduate researchers across 146 postgraduate programs coordinated through the BRIDGES internationalization network, mariculturists and family farmers served by the Marine Mollusks Lab and the new Instituto de Ecologização de Mares, Campo e Cidades, underserved communities reached via the VOCAL vocal biomarker COPD screening project, and the general public through heritage forts, museums, and the university restaurant.
UFSC's technology and research footprint spans multiple specialized laboratories: the LIFE-Multiusuário fluid-structure interaction lab at the Joinville campus (funded at R$2.239M by FAPESC); molecular point-of-care diagnostics developed in a 2021 consortium with Fiocruz, IFSC, and Dive-SC, producing a patented rapid COVID-19 test awarded 2nd place in the Ministry of Health's "Mais Ciência para o SUS" category; algae-based bioremediation and biorefinery programs; photovoltaic energy solutions with CELESC; harmful algae monitoring in Lagoa da Conceição; and aquaculture nutrition research published via MDPI's Fishes journal. The university holds CWUR 2026 top-Brazilian-university status and ENADE excellence-level recognition for its undergraduate teaching programs, and maintains international cooperation agreements with institutions including Maastricht University, Universités Laval, Pompeu Fabra, Politecnico di Torino, HSE University, Universidad del Valle, and Münster.
UFSC operates a non-commercial, government-funded business model. Its primary revenue stream is federal government budget allocation from Brazil's Ministry of Education, with the 2025 institutional budget disclosed at R$171 million against a reported operating deficit of approximately R$20 million. The institution charges no tuition and generates only marginal fee-based revenue from Pacific oyster seed sales (R$45.00 per thousand units), heritage fort visitation (R$10–30), the Imprensa Universitária printing services, and subsidized restaurant meals. Funding is supplemented by external research grants (FAPESC, CAPES Global.Edu for the BRIDGES network, UKRI for VOCAL) and strategic partnerships with industrial counterparties such as ZTE and Unifique for 5G and broadband talent development.
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
- Legal name
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
- Website
- https://ufsc.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Federally funded Brazilian public university operating five campuses across Santa Catarina, delivering tuition-free undergraduate and graduate education, applied research in health diagnostics, aquaculture, energy, and engineering, plus community extension and heritage services to Brazilian society.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florianópolis
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Government Budget Allocation: UFSC operates as a public university funded primarily through federal government budget allocations from Brazil's Ministry of Education (MEC). The university does not charge tuition from students. Budget constraints and deficits are regularly reported, with the 2025 budget reported at R$ 171 million with a deficit of approximately R$ 20 million.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Public higher education – tuition-free |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pacific oyster seed sales (Laboratory of Marine Mollusks) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UFSC is a Brazilian federal public university delivering tuition-free higher education (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs), applied scientific research, and community extension services across five campuses in Santa Catarina. It operates specialized laboratories and programs in health diagnostics, aquaculture, renewable energy, and fluid-structure interaction, alongside cultural heritage management (historic fortresses and museums) and select fee-based services such as oyster seed sales and printing services.
Product overview
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) is a Brazilian public higher education institution offering educational products and services across teaching, research, and extension. The university provides academic programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels, research services including aquaculture nutrition and vocal biomarker detection technology, institutional services such as the Visual Identity System (SIV) for brand management, and graphic printing services through Imprensa Universitária. The institution operates multiple digital platforms including its main academic portal and specialized systems for international opportunities, alumni tracking, and communication management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Undergraduate Degree Programs Tuition-free undergraduate academic degree programs covering a broad range of disciplines, accessible to Brazilian students via the national vestibular entrance examination and SiSU centralized admission system.
- Graduate Degree Programs (Masters and Doctoral) Tuition-free masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral research programs spanning 146 postgraduate offerings, with internationalization through the BRIDGES network coordinated with five other Brazilian universities.
- Distance Education Programs (SEAD) Remote undergraduate and continuing education programs offered through UFSC's SEAD (Secretaria de Educação a Distância) division, extending access to students across Brazil.
- Pacific Oyster Seed Sales Sale of diploid Pacific oyster seeds from the Laboratory of Marine Mollusks (Laboratório de Moluscos Marinhos) to mariculturists, priced at R$ 45.00 per thousand units based on historical cost data and private market rates in Santa Catarina.
- Historic Fortress Cultural Visits Public access to three UFSC-administered historic fortresses (São José da Ponta Grossa, Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim, Santo Antônio de Ratones) and the MArquE museum, with combined fortress tickets at R$ 30/R$ 15 and individual fortress tickets at R$ 20/R$ 10.
- University Press Printing Services (Imprensa Universitária) Graphic printing services including book production, formats A6 to A2, offset and digital printing, paper cutting, and graphic production, operated by the university's Imprensa Universitária.
- University Restaurant Meals (Restaurante Universitário) Subsidized meals served to students, faculty, and staff at the main campus Restaurante Universitário in Trindade, Florianópolis.
- Extension and Continuing Education Programs Non-degree extension programs, language courses, vocational training, and free pre-university preparatory courses (cursinho pré-vestibular) offered to the general public and community.
Quantifiable outcome
- Rapid COVID-19 molecular test enabling faster, cheaper diagnosis during the pandemic, awarded 2nd place 'Mais Ciência para o SUS' at ExpoEpi among 1,500+ submissions
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior)coreCAPES approved and funds the BRIDGES (Building Research and Innovation towards Development and Global Exchange for Sustainability) network, coordinated by UFSC under the CAPES Global.Edu program. The network brings together 6 universities and 146 postgraduate programs for internationalization.
- Ministry of Development and Social Assistance (MDS)coreMinister Wellington Dias of the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combating Hunger visited UFSC and encouraged the creation of the Instituto de Ecologização de Mares, Campo e Cidades. UFSC was the first Brazilian university to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, with the institute serving as the academic model.
- BRIDGES Network Universities (Udesc, UENF, UFAM, UFFS, Univasf)coreUFSC coordinates the BRIDGES network (Building Research and Innovation towards Development and Global Exchange for Sustainability), a CAPES Global.Edu initiative including Udesc, UENF, UFAM, UFFS, and Univasf, connecting 146 postgraduate programs across Brazil's South, Southeast, North, and Northeast regions for collaborative internationalization.
- CELESC (Centrais Elétricas de Santa Catarina)minorUFSC and CELESC developed a joint solution to mitigate electricity shortages during power grid maintenance operations, demonstrating applied research collaboration with the state energy utility.
- Maastricht University / Maastricht UMC+ (NUTRIM)coreNUTRIM and Maastricht UMC+ researchers partnered with UFSC and UFSCar on the VOCAL project, deploying a smartphone app using vocal biomarkers for COPD detection in underserved Brazilian communities. The collaboration combines machine learning with voice analysis, funded by UKRI, and addresses low-resource setting challenges including illiteracy and inconsistent connectivity.
- UFSCar (Federal University of São Carlos)coreUFSCar collaborated with UFSC and Maastricht University on the VOCAL project for voice-based COPD screening in Brazilian communities, contributing research capacity to the joint initiative.
- MDPI / Journal FishesminorUFSC researcher Marco Shizuo Owatari authored an editorial introduction to the journal Fishes' special issue 'Pivotal Roles of Feed Additives for Fish,' summarizing five aquaculture nutrition research contributions published between 2025 and 2026. The collaboration highlights advances in aquafeed formulation.
- ZTE CorporationcoreChina's ZTE Corporation signed a partnership with Unifique and UFSC to foster broadband technology innovation and talent training in Brazil's digital economy. The agreement was signed at ZTE's Global Services Ecosystem Forum 2025 in São Paulo, building on ZTE's 2023 contract as Unifique's core 5G provider. The partnership aims to accelerate technology implementation and develop local telecommunications talent.
- Unifique TelecomunicaçõescoreBrazilian internet service provider Unifique partnered with UFSC and ZTE to support broadband innovation and telecommunications talent development. Unifique serves as the local implementation partner for 5G technology deployment, with UFSC contributing research capacity and talent training.
- Faubai (Associação Brasileira de Educação Internacional)minorUFSC actively participates in Faubai Conference, conducting bilateral meetings with universities including Université Laval (Canada), Pompeu Fabra (Spain), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), HSE University (Russia), Universidad del Valle (Colombia), and Münster University (Germany) to establish and strengthen international academic cooperation.
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz)coreFiocruz was part of the research consortium that developed the rapid molecular COVID-19 diagnostic test. Professor Luísa Damazio Rona Pitaluga of UFSC's Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics led the partnership, which resulted in a patented diagnostic kit awarded by the Ministry of Health.
- Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC)coreIFSC partnered with UFSC, Fiocruz, and Dive-SC to develop the rapid molecular COVID-19 diagnostic test, contributing technical capacity from the federal institute network.
- Diretoria de Vigilância Epidemiológica de SC (Dive-SC)minorDive-SC participated in the research consortium for the rapid molecular COVID-19 diagnostic test, providing epidemiological surveillance expertise and field validation capacity.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Universidade de Brasília (UnB): Federal university with strong research portfolio and graduate programs, including multi-campus operations. Comparable in scale, federal mission, and policy-facing research engagement.
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS): Federal university in the neighboring state of Rio Grande do Sul with comparable multi-campus structure, research portfolio, and graduate program scale. Most directly comparable Brazilian federal university to UFSC in size, mission, and regional context.
- Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR): Federal university in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná with similar program breadth across engineering, health sciences, and humanities. Comparable in scale, federal funding model, and research orientation.
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar): Smaller but high-quality federal research university with similar emphasis on applied science and engineering. Active research partner of UFSC on the VOCAL project, making it directly comparable in federal funding model and research output quality.
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE): Regional federal university in northeastern Brazil with comparable research and graduate program structure. Similar in scale, federal funding model, and multi-campus operations.
Broad incumbents
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG): One of Brazil's largest and highest-ranked federal universities with comparable research depth across disciplines. Larger scale and broader geographic reach, but operates under the same federal funding framework as UFSC.
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ): Brazil's premier federal research university with similar emphasis on STEM and health sciences research. Larger and more established, but shares the federal university model and research-intensive mission.
- Universidade de São Paulo (USP): Brazil's leading research university and the standard-bearer for Brazilian higher education. State-funded rather than federal but broadly comparable in research output, graduate program scale, and applied research relevance.
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp): Top-ranked Brazilian state university with strong applied research and industry partnership focus. Comparable in research reputation and graduate outcomes, though funded by the state of São Paulo rather than federal sources.
Regional players
- Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc): State university operating in the same state as UFSC, with overlapping regional student base and complementary program offerings. Different funding model (state vs. federal) but directly comparable on geographic service area.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) social profiles
Digital presenceFederal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
What does Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) do?
UFSC is a Brazilian federal public university delivering tuition-free higher education (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs), applied scientific research, and community extension services across five campuses in Santa Catarina. It operates specialized laboratories and programs in health diagnostics, aquaculture, renewable energy, and fluid-structure interaction, alongside cultural heritage management (historic fortresses and museums) and select fee-based services such as oyster seed sales and printing services.
Is Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) a public or private company?
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) founded?
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) was founded in 1960. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) based?
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) is headquartered in Florianópolis, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal Government Budget Allocation.
Who are Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) and Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Broad incumbents are Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc) is listed as a regional player.
Does Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
What industry is Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in?
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)'s product category is Public Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAG, Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.