At the “Raízes do Investimento” event held on July 8, Haili Livoltek Brazil Electric Power Co., Ltd., BYD Battery Industrial Co., Ltd., Granja São Pedro, and Amazônia Pneus highlighted innovative solutions for sustainable development in the Amazon region. These solutions include electric outboard motors, photovoltaic cells, more efficient egg and dairy production methods, and strengthening the natural rubber industry chain.
Livoltek’s Industrial Manager, Márcio Sousa, introduced the company’s innovation: an electric outboard motor expected to begin production at the Manaus Industrial Park (PIM) in 2026. The manager explained that this innovative technology is designed for riverside communities to reduce river pollution and combustion. Currently, outboard motors are typically powered by gasoline or diesel.
“The device I demonstrated today can be placed on a canoe in riverside communities. Our battery lasts about four hours, and considering the uniqueness of the Amazon region, we designed a vertical outboard motor. Additionally, taking into account factors like low tide and monitoring river changes, we also developed a horizontal outboard motor,” he said.
Sousa emphasized that Livoltek’s operations in the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM) are already innovative. “Livoltek produces batteries for our inverters. During production, we receive DC loads and convert them to AC, after which a battery is needed to handle the load. Therefore, we invested 28 billion reais in chargers, and by the way, our production process has just begun,” he said.
The industrial manager stated that the company is expanding and plans to install new projects. “We have already planned to hire about 93 employees for training, certification, and the production of EV Chargers. This brings us a rare opportunity.”
BYD representative Kleber Costa also emphasized the importance of changing certain standards to create a more sustainable world. Regarding electric vehicle production, he explained that PIM is currently part of the company’s larger process.
He explained: “The battery modules are assembled at ZFM. We receive finished batteries from China and assemble a set of cells here, which we call a battery module. Once the battery module is completed, we send it to our customer—this time our designated customer—BYD in Campinas, to be installed into the bus chassis, undergo finishing, and then be delivered to the city government and the client who ordered the vehicles.”
When asked whether BYD plans to expand its production scope beyond battery modules, Costa stated that this is one of the company’s goals for next year.
“Yes, of course. We have a new ‘Blade’ battery project. As mentioned in the presentation, this battery is the technology currently used in electric vehicles, and BYD is currently applying to the National Transport Authority (DNIT) and regulatory bodies for approval of buses, to apply this new technology to these electric buses. So, by 2026, we will definitely implement and apply the new project in the free trade zone of the Amazon region,” he said.
In the livestock sector, San Pedro Valley Company has introduced more environmentally friendly sustainable production processes and stricter animal care regulations. The company showcased innovations in the production of dairy products such as cheese and milk. CEO Francisco Pessoto emphasized: “Pursuing quality is one of the most important aspects.”
Declining production
Auro Levorin, a tire industry project coordinator, reports that rubber production in the Amazon region has declined in recent years, but the goal is to restore growth and generate income for extractive families in the region.
“Before the pandemic, rubber production in the free trade zone dropped significantly. Last year, we produced less than a third of what we did before. In 2015, we produced 1,600 tons of rubber, benefiting 2,300 families in the Amazon. Amazônia Pneus aims to restore rubber extraction in the Amazon,” he said.
Levorin emphasized that they are working with the federal and state governments to develop projects to ensure the rubber chain produces 2,400 tons.
Once we reach full production capacity, these 2,400 tons of rubber will rely entirely on Amazônia Pneus’ output. This way, we can benefit 4,000 families in the Amazon region. We will purchase all rubber produced, ensuring these families receive substantial income, thereby helping to protect the forest.
More Projects
According to data from Sedecti based on the Amazon Development Council (Codam), between 2019 and June 2025, 565 new companies were established in the Manaus Industrial Hub, creating 23,224 new jobs with total investments of R$12.8 billion.
Based on partial data from PIM performance indicators, in 2024 alone, the sectors with the highest contributions were: electronics (R$2.99 billion), thermoplastics (R$1.97 billion), chemicals (R$1.33 billion), and two-wheelers (R$1.2 billion).
Executive Secretary Gustavo Igrejas emphasized that the event is an opportunity to present, in a didactic manner, the content approved during the meeting of the Amazonas State Development Council (Codam).
He stressed: ‘We have noticed that our society lacks a certain understanding of the work of the Manaus Free Trade Zone. Therefore, the goal of this event is to present this data, not only to show what is produced here, but also the production process. The Manaus Industrial Hub creates many added values for us, which need to be made public.’
Igrejas also stated that the tax reform brings more security for new investments and drives growth for some industries.
“So far, I haven’t seen any negative impact from the tax reform hindering major investments here. Quite the opposite. Over the next five to six years, industries like IT and plastics may become far more attractive for manufacturing than other regions in the country.”