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# 161 VOL. XXXIX JULY/AUGUST 2012 ENGLISH EDITION SPORTS The transforming power of a universal passion
# 161 VOL. XXXIX JULY/AUGUST 2012
EnGLISh EdITIOn
SportSThe transforming power of a universal passion
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1st place – cell phoneAnderson Munhoz
2nd place – cameraLauren Pereira
3rd place – cell phoneFrancisco da Cunha Melo
1informa
Opposite, photos that received
honorable mention, by (clockwise from
top left) Olavo de Pinho, Lauren
Pereira, Alex Vasconcellos
da Silva Guedes and Juliano de
Paula Santos
THESE PAGES SHOW THE WINNING PHOTOS FROM ODEBRECHT INFORMA’S SPORTS IN FOCUS COMPETITION
2nd place – cell phoneJosé Marcelo Arruda de Oliveira
3rd place – cameraErick Marcel Carvalho
1st place – cameraCarolina Almeida de Souza
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Online edition Online archive
> Braskem’s Walking and Running Program in São Paulo shows that you don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
> Braskem’s Running and Health Club in Camaçari, Bahia, and Paulínia, São Paulo, aims to improve company members’ quality of life.
> See the stories behind the winning photos from Odebrecht Informa’s Sports in Focus competition.
> Collective wedding at the Corinthians Arena: workers who are helping build the stadium for the opening of the FIFA 2014 World Cup officialize their unions with their partners.
> Access all back issues of Odebrecht Informa since no. 1, and download full issues in PDF.
> Odebrecht Annual Reports since 2002.
> Special publications (Special Issue on Social Programs, 60 years of the Odebrecht Group, 40 Years of the Odebrecht Foundation and 10 Years of Odeprev).
www.odebrechtonline.com.br
> You can view this entire issue in HTML and PDF
3informainforma 3
Video reports Blog
> Follow Odebrecht Informa on Twitter and get news in real time @odbinforma.
> Comment on blog posts and participate by sending your suggestions to the editors.
> Three reading suggestions on sustainable development.
> Isto é Dinheiro magazine hails the Odebrecht Group as one of the “Top 50 Do-Good Companies.”
> Rio+20: Braskem’s “green” plastic contributed to the debate on sustainability.
www.odebrechtonline.com.br > Read Odebrecht Informa on your tablet and smartphone.> Reports, features, videos, photos, animations and infographics.
> See the details of the construction of the Corinthians Arena and the revamp of Maracanã, which will respectively host the opening and final games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
> Fonte Nova Arena and Pernambuco Arena: technological innovation and recycled resources make both ventures good examples of sustainable engineering.
> In rural Pernambuco, the revamp of Salgueirão, the stadium of the Salgueiro Sports Club, promises to heat up the classic Brasileirão Championship’s Series B soccer games.
> In Rio de Janeiro, the Porto Maravilha docklands regeneration project, which will be one of the main legacies of the 2016 Olympics, leads to archeological finds dating back to colonial times.
> prESErVING KNoWLEDGE
The Odebrecht Culture Center (NCO): a historical perspective on the results achieved by the Odebrecht Group.
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#161
The stories of Group members who are dedicated mind and soul to sports – all the time
Carlos José Cunha and the challenge of leading SuperVia as an ongoing project that will service one million people by 2016
Projects in Rio de Janeiro are preparing the city to host the 2016 Olympics. And much more
The Brazilian Navy-Odebrecht Olympic Project helps realize the dreams of young athletes – and an entire country
The Athletes’ Village, in the Ilha Pura district, is under construction in Barra da Tijuca. It will house the Olympic heroes in Rio in 2016
Project supported by ETH helps groom athletes who are also stars in the classroom
Benedicto Junior discusses the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 Olympics and their legacy of increased self-esteem for the Brazilian people
Photo contest: Odebrecht members take to the streets in search of beautiful pictures of sports
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia and Pernambuco witness the birth (or rebirth) of four arenas that will be a source of pride for Brazil
American Airlines Arena in Miami, built by Odebrecht and inaugurated in 1999, is the home of the NBA’s 2012 champions
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Cover: Playing volleyball on Ilha do Cabo (Cape Island), Luanda. Photo by Guilherme Afonso
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Memory: precious lessons learned from the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro
See how petrochemical raw materials are present in soccer and many other sports
Initiatives involving Braskem make sports a bridge to civic spirit
Every day, on the beaches and streets of Angola, a nation demonstrates its love for sports
Open Spaces: helping young people from Macaé, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, overcome social risk situations
Foz Águas 5: the utility company is playing a key role in the context of the Rio Olympics
Odebrecht Run and Walk: providing (increasingly well-received) encouragement for healthy lifestyle habits
Marco Aurélio Fonseca writes about sports as a tool for social development and inclusion
The map shows the countries and Brazilian states (in white) where the projects and programs described in this issue of Odebrecht Informa are located, and where the people who feature in these stories live and work
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EDITORIAL
Better all the time
itius, Altius, Fortius. Faster, higher (or further), stronger. The Olympic motto teaches, inspires and encourages: it is always necessary to go a step beyond and overcome our limitations. This is a truth that does not just apply to athletes, Olympic heroes, the flesh-and-blood legends
who impress the world every four years. It is also, or mainly, true for the cities that are hosting the games, and even more so for the people who are making those cities fit to host the most important sporting event on the planet, which will be the case with Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Yes, Rio, the Marvelous City – recently declared a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity site in the Urban Cultural Landscape category – is following the Olympic motto to the letter. The state capital of Rio de Janeiro is also the site of infrastructure works – especially in the Center and West Zone – that will fully equip it to become the world’s sports capital in 2016. But the fact is that they are doing much more. Citius, Altius, Fortius. The projects in progress in Rio de Janeiro are enabling the city to achieve something even more important than hosting the Olympic Games: thanks to the works currently underway, the city will give an extraordinary boost to its residents’ quality of life through development of advanced solutions in the areas of urban mobility and housing, for example. This is by definition a legacy.
First, however, Rio and 11 other major Brazilian cities will host an event with the same level of importance and visibility as the Olympics: the FIFA World Cup. In 2014, 32 countries represented by their national soccer teams will arrive in Brazil to vie for the title of world champion in the planet’s most popular sport. The revamp of the legendary Maracanã Stadium and the construction of the Corinthians, Fonte Nova and Pernambuco arenas are the highlights among the numerous projects that are preparing the country for FIFA’s wonderful tournament for the beautiful game. And there’s more: these new arenas are going to provide new multipurpose facilities that will benefit sports fans and aficionados of the arts, culture and enter-tainment. Not only that, but they could also contribute to the birth of a new mindset in the management of Brazilian soccer. Legacy.
In this issue of Odebrecht Informa, you will read about all this and more: proj-ects that use sports as a tool for strengthening civic spirit. You will learn how an increasing number of people are making sports part of their everyday lives – not as an obligation but as a passion. In short, the following pages contain the stories of people, companies, cities and countries that believe in the Olympic motto and live it on a daily basis. Citius, Altius, Fortius. Always.
Good reading.
“The following pages contain the stories of people, companies, cities
and countries that believe in the
Olympic motto and live it on a daily
basis. Citius, Altius, Fortius. Always”
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PASSIONATe ABOuT
sportswritten by João Marcondes
8ports mean health. And obsession, love,
art, science, reasoning, therapy, meditation,
work. A sport is a game. It is also a passion.
In this feature, Odebrecht Informa tells the
stories of members of two of the Group’s
companies (Braskem and Odebrecht Infraestrutura) who
make sports a way of life. These are stories of dunkings
and medals. And the examples of people who want to
make the world a more enjoyable place to live.
From Itapuã to HawaiKleber Batinga’s relationship with surfing was born
from a happy accident. As a boy in the early 1970s, he and
a female friend used to pair up to take part in the Spring
Competition in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. However, the girl
had three over-protective surfer brothers who are still
Kleber’s friends to this day. One day, at the “Little Hawaii”
beach in the Pituba district, they invited him to climb on a
surfboard, but “forgot” to pass the surf wax (which keeps
surfers from slipping off the boards). He endured dunk-
ing after dunking as a result. But the prank just encour-
aged Kleber to keep going. “Once I managed to stay on
the surfboard, I never quit.” Forty years later, with several
state and national titles under his belt, he is now one of the
oldest and most beloved surfers and paddlers in Salvador.
Born in Rio and an honorary native of Bahia, Kleber
is an engineer by profession. His passions are his family,
work and the sea. He looks out serenely at the green and
blue sea of Itapuã and is inspired to go stand-up paddle
boarding - one of his favorite forms of surfing, in addition to
traditional surfing and Hawaiian canoeing – a sport where
athletes row standing up on a board. Kleber has made the
S
10 informa
As the Braskem officer Responsible for Industrial Op-
erations at the Camaçari Complex, Neemias sees some
important similarities between the requirements of chess
and his job, such as the need for quick, systematic think-
ing and an appreciation for strategy and tactics.
Sports and friendshipVolleyball has also done a great deal to inspire people
in the workplace. Paula Yuko Ogata, 24, was born in São
Paulo State and is now a Braskem Product Develop-
ment engineer at the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex in
the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. She has en-
gaged in various sports, such as gymnastics and swim-
ming, but it was the team spirit of volleyball that won her
heart. “It’s a great way to make friends,” she says. So
much so that when she arrived in the state capital, Porto
Alegre, nine months ago, she helped bring together fans
of the sport, both beginners and veterans, to “hit a ball”
at the Braskem Cultural and Sports Association (ACeB)
once a week after work.
A native of Araraquara, São Paulo, Paula started play-
ing volleyball with her cousins. She won a championship
for her hometown in the São Paulo State Youth League’s
regional games. Her biggest idol in the sport is Gilberto
Amauri Godoy Filho, better known as Giba.
“Braskem encourages its members to get involved in
sports and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Internal newsletters
are a good tool for that,” she says. That was how Paula
found her fellow players.
Passion for rowingBlessed with the right physique (1.98m or 6’5” tall), the
discipline to get up before dawn, and team spirit, Sérgio
Paiva Silveira nearly became a professional athlete. His
sport: rowing. As a youth, his performance attracted at-
tention and he was invited to train on the Flamengo rowing
team in Rio de Janeiro. He went, but only stayed for three
months.
“There are very few incentives for athletes in this coun-
try, so I decided to concentrate on a profession.” But this
did not stop Sérgio from going on training and competing.
And winning. His office is bedecked with over 200 trophies
and medals, including a bronze from the World Masters
Championships in Spain in 1999. He heads for the water
at least four times a week. “I want to compete until I’m 75,
which is the ‘I’ category of competition,” says Sérgio, 48,
who is a Braskem Maintenance Technician at the Triunfo
Complex in his home state.
His family has always backed his ventures into the
world of sports, but now their star athlete is his 12-year-
old daughter, Sofia, a promising player on the Sogipa vol-
leyball team.
Racing upgradeArchitect Izabela Sander, 30, never wanted to be a pro-
fessional athlete. Her goal was just to stay in shape, so
she only ran races sporadically. Then, through an initiative
phot
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Kleber Batinga: one of the oldest surfers and paddlers in Salvador, Bahia
Neemias Paris: chess is an art, sport and science
11informa
of Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure), where she
works, she joined a running group that is accompanied by a
professional sports counselor. What started out as a hobby
has become such a commitment that racing is part of her
life. “The professionals in the group give me important tips,
which make me run even better! Foot placement, pace, eat-
ing habits, and learning how my body responds to all this,”
she says. “I didn’t know the difference between lean and
fat body mass and their importance for performance and
wellbeing. I only cared about the numbers on the scales.”
exercising has become a pleasure, says Izabela, who
lives in Belo Horizonte. “everything in my life has improved.
Today, I eat better, have more energy, sleep soundly, and,
of course, there’s my body’s response.” Married with one
daughter, Izabela has shared her new habits with her fam-
ily. She has even managed to encourage her once-seden-
tary husband to follow in her footsteps. “He’s changed his
eating habits, lost 30 kilos (about 66 pounds), works out
at the gym, and now we go running together!” she says,
clearly pleased with the outcome.
The pool is his second home“Love” is the word André Mombach uses to describe
what he feels for swimming. It all started when he went
to a birthday party as a child. The house had a pool, and
the kids decided to take a dip. André plunged in too, but he
couldn’t swim. “I almost drowned, and my mother imme-
diately signed me up for swimming lessons.” That’s how
this love story began.
The pool has become his second home. During the
toughest period of training, he used to wake up at 4 am
in the harsh cold of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, and
practice every day. But he didn’t complain. “When I’m in
the water, I go into a meditative state. I think about life. I
come up with good ideas for my work and studies,” says
Mombach, 20, a Braskem Laboratory Analyst who is work-
ing towards a degree in Power engineering.
In 2009, during Carnival on the Rio Grande do Sul coast,
he and his friends were frolicking in the ocean when one of
them strayed from the group and “fell” into a pit in the sea
floor. If Mombach hadn’t swum against the current to get
him out of there, that story would have had a tragic ending.
Swimming is part of Mombach’s life. He had a bril-
liant career as a young athlete, and racked up the scores
he needed to compete in the adult category in national
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Paula Ogata: “It’s a great way to make friends”
Sérgio Silveira: plans to row until he’s 75
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tournaments, perhaps even try out for major events like
the Pan American and Olympic Games. “But I didn’t have
any sponsors,” he says with a smile.
Running with the greatsWhen Pedro Jesus Figueiredo started doing sports,
he ran barefoot. Born and raised in the interior of Mara-
nhão, Brazil, he used to walk long distances with nothing
to protect his feet. For example, when he went from the
town of Cidelândia to the farm where he and his sister
lived, in the countryside. He started trotting to go a bit
faster. After 8 kilometers, he felt relaxed and was going
with the flow. He thought: I guess I’m pretty good at this
running business.
He became a runner, competing in marathons in
the best tradition of Kenyan history, which is similar to
the story of this track assembler who is working on the
Carajás Railroad expansion Project being carried out by
Odebrecht Infraestrutura.
Soon he began to stand out and win small races.
He used to practice running in the streets of Cidelân-
dia. When people saw him race by they’d shout: “Where
you going, kid? We’ll have to tie you down at this rate!”
But they didn’t, and he went far. He has competed in 10
São Silvestre marathons and won 211 medals over the
course of his 20-year career.
“One of the most thrilling times was when I competed
against Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima (bronze medalist at
the Athens Olympics in 2004) in the Círio de Nazaré race
in Belém in 1996. He came in first and I finished third,”
he recalls with pride. At age 43, now living in Açailândia,
Maranhão, he intends to represent Odebrecht in his 11th
São Silvestre marathon.
Eastern focusDanilo Oshiro also needs to be fast on his feet. The
ball only weighs three a half grams but it flies at a speed
of 160 km/h, and he needs to hit it hundreds of times
per game. Strength, dexterity and concentration are
characteristics that Danilo, 31, has developed since he
started playing ping pong at age 14 in his Santos, São
Paulo, home.
A Braskem Planning Analyst based at the company’s
office in Porto Alegre, he is a fan of ping-pong champion
Cláudio Kano. Danilo practices every weekend in Porto
Alegre, and represents the company at the SeSI games.
In a single tournament, he plays up to seven (half hour)
matches in a single day.
“Their biotype and discipline are weapons that make
Asians the strongest in the sport,” says his coach Jorge
Fanck, who usually faces off against Danilo in official
pers
onal
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oto:
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gên
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ávio
Izabela Sander: raising her family’s awareness
Pedro Figueiredo: long track record in the São Silvestre marathon
12 informa
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competitions. “One of my current goals is to beat him,”
says Danilo, partly in jest.
On the roadFor Geraldo Villin Prado, 54, sports are primarily
therapeutic. He rides a motorbike. “It’s mental hygiene.
I don’t think about anything when I’m on the road,” says
Geraldo, who has been passionate about those two-
wheeled machines since childhood, when he used to
watch his grandfather ride motorbikes. The older man
never drove a car.
In early 2012, Villin set out on the most amazing adven-
ture of his life: an 8,200-km trip from São Paulo to Chile’s
Atacama Desert, the driest in the world, and back to São
Paulo. He went with four of his brothers, all on bikes. They
rode through Paso de San Francisco (which is rarely used)
to get from Argentina to Chile, and descended nearly 5,000
meters in a single day.
Fitness is essential for a trek like that. After all, they had
to spend up to 10 hours a day on the seat of a motorcycle.
For 17 days, Villin was rewarded with breathtaking scenery:
araucaria forests, cactus, desert, mountains, and seven-
colored hills.
“The main thing you need to ride a motorbike is to pay
attention. After all, bikers are invisible when they’re on
the road,” says the officer Responsible for Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura’s Investment Program, who also takes part in
rallies on a regular basis. Now his dream is to be on the
road again, this time in Turkish Cappadocia.
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Danilo Oshiro: started playing ping pong when he was 14
Geraldo Villin: physical fitness and alertness
14 informa
“Conductor” of an ongoing projectThe President of SuperVia’s mission is to lead the company as it engages in a process of improvement that goes beyond the Rio Olympics
PROFILE: Carlos José Cunha
written by ElEa almEida photo by marcos michaEl
arlos José Cunha, 60, has
spent half his life at Ode-
brecht, where he is now
President of SuperVia, the Odebrecht
TransPort subsidiary that operates the
Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region’s
commuter rail service. After 30 years
with the Group, he not only applies the
principles laid down by the Odebrecht
Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO) as
naturally as breathing but seeks to im-
prove them on a continual basis in the
course of his everyday tasks.
When he arrives at the office, he
makes a point of shaking hands with
everyone he meets along the way,
and giving his attention to those who
want to talk. “We have established a
close relationship with our members
so that everyone can express them-
selves. My office door is open. Every-
one is free to come and go. And, more
and more, they are expressing their
pride in belonging to our company,”
says Carlos José.
He has headed SuperVia since
January 2011, and is well aware of the
magnitude of the challenge that lies
ahead: the revitalization of the com-
pany is part of the legacy that Ode-
brecht, which has owned controlling
interest in SuperVia since 2010, wants
to leave for the upcoming sporting
events (the 2014 FIFA World Cup and
Rio 2016 Olympics).
A native of Rio who graduated
in Civil Engineering from the city’s
Pontifical Catholic University in 1974,
during his four-decade career Car-
los José has played an active role in
projects that are major milestones in
the city’s history. He was on the team
that built the Rio-Niterói Bridge, Rio’s
International and Santos Dumont air-
ports, the Jacarepagua racetrack, the
Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca marine
outfalls, and the Marriott Hotel in Co-
pacabana, among other projects.
Outside his hometown, he has
taken on responsibilities from the
southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
to the Amazon. His first project for
Odebrecht was the Port of Praia Mole,
built in Vitória, Espírito Santo, in 1982.
“I had kept a close eye on the orga-
nization’s growth. By the time I joined
Odebrecht, it was already a major
company, but nobody expected it to
grow this much,” he says.
In 1989, in the state of Minas Gerais,
he tackled one of his biggest challenges
when excavating Brazil’s deepest verti-
cal shaft for the São Bento mine, 80 km
from the state capital, Belo Horizonte.
At the time, the company won an in-
ternational award for building a 1,100m
tunnel without a single accident (the
world average, at the time, was one fa-
tal accident per 300 meters).
He has received several proposals
to work on the Group’s projects in oth-
er countries, but opted to stay in Brazil.
“I got five invitations to work in other
countries, but fate has always kept me
close to home,” he says. “I believe in
the importance of international experi-
ence, but I’ve chosen to contribute to
the development of Brazil, especially
Rio de Janeiro.”
“My client is the people of Rio de
Janeiro”
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15informa 15informa
The announcement that the state
capital would host the FIFA World Cup
and Olympics led Carlos José to ask
Benedicto Junior, CEO of Odebrecht
Infraestrutura (Infrastructure) for an
opportunity to work on the prepara-
tions for the world’s two largest sport-
ing events. “I wanted to complete my
mission in Rio as well. When I was
asked to head SuperVia, I thought
there had been a misunderstanding,
but in less than 10 minutes I was con-
vinced that this challenge had every-
thing to do with the games.”
Carlos José says he has been gifted
with a task whose accomplishment
will not only fulfill the requirements of
the World Cup and the Olympics but,
above all, will meet the needs of thou-
sands of people in several communi-
ties in the metropolitan area. SuperVia
operates 160 trains that travel on a
270-km network with five branches
connected by 100 stations, passing
through the city of Rio de Janeiro and
11 Greater Rio municipalities, with a
total of 10 million inhabitants. “Most
projects have a beginning, middle and
end, but this one is ongoing. I won’t be
here at SuperVia when the concession
ends in 2048, but we have to plant this
seed: a revitalized system with a ser-
vice standard of excellence,” observes
Carlos José.
The company is investing BRL 2.4
billion as part of the effort to revamp
SuperVia. That money will
be used to buy
120 new trains, 30 of which will be run-
ning by the end of this year. Since Janu-
ary, SuperVia has been utilizing one of
the most advanced control centers in
the world. A new signaling system will
reduce the headway (interval between
trains) from six to three minutes. All
the stations will be refurbished, includ-
ing the historic Brazil Central Station.
Through the total renovation of Super-
Via and improved quality of service, the
goal is to serve one million passengers
by 2016, up from the current 570,000.
“My client is the people of Rio de Ja-
neiro, and my priority is to satisfy that
client,” says Carlos José.
Carlos José: “Most projects have a beginning, middle and end, but this one is ongoing”
18 informa
Av. VenezuelaAv. Rodrigues Alves
Av. Presidente VargasLinha do VLT
Av. Francisco Bicalho
Av. Rio BrancoSantoCristo
GamboaSaúde
Santos Dumont Airport
Area covered:
490 hectares
Rehabilitating and expanding roadways
Installing an LRV (Light Rail Vehicle) system
New sewer, water, power and gas lines
Public lighting and storm drains
New telecommunicationssystem
Center
Guanabara Bay
SP
MG ES
Rio de Janeiro
RJ
R i o d e J a n e i r oetween 1903 and 1906, Rio de Janeiro un-
derwent an unprecedented transforma-
tion. Then with a population of about one
million inhabitants concentrated in the
region now known as the Center, the city
experienced an urban reform that completely changed
its landscape. Avenues were built, including Central
(now Rio Branco), Mem de Sá, Dos Passos, Beira-Mar
and Atlântica; streets were widened, squares and pla-
zas were refurbished, and the Municipal Theatre and
many other works were built. Carried out during the
administration of Mayor Pereira Passos, and popularly
known as “Tear it Down,” the reform razed about 1,600
buildings and Senado Hill. But it gave Rio the look the
city eagerly desired.
Several changes, both political (the transition from
Empire to Republic in 1889) and social (European im-
migration, the abolition of slavery and expansion of free
labor, at the same time), had impacted the urban environ-
ment, which saw a population boom and the spread of
tenements and slums. Sanitary conditions were appalling.
There were no water supply or sewer systems, which fos-
tered successive out-
breaks of dis-
eases and epidemics. At the same time, especially among
the elite, there was an aspiration to make the capital of the
Republic a modern, cosmopolitan city in the style of the
main European metropolises – particularly Paris, given
the strong French influence in Rio at that time.
Today, a little more than 100 years after Pereira
Passos’s urban renewal project, the Center of Rio de
Janeiro is experiencing a new wave of transformations
that should have a similar impact. Known as Porto
Maravilha (Port Wonder), this ongoing project includes
a wide range of works and services that are regenerat-
ing and revitalizing the area. According to Mayor Edu-
ardo Paes: “A city that does not take care of its area of
origin, does not take care of its Center, is a city without
an identity. One of the first challenges I took on when I
became Mayor was to realize a dream that seemed im-
possible for Rio de Janeiro, which was the restoration
of its docklands.”
Leandro Azevedo, Executive Director of Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura (Infrastructure) for Rio de Janeiro, explains
that the city has finally consolidated the political and
economic conditions it needs to carry out all the invest-
ments in urban mobility and infrastructure that had been
planned for over a decade. “Our biggest challenge,” he
B
Central Avenue (now Rio Branco Avenue) in 1910, shortly after it officially opened: an icon of the urban reform that gave Rio a new look
19informa
Av. VenezuelaAv. Rodrigues Alves
Av. Presidente VargasLinha do VLT
Av. Francisco Bicalho
Av. Rio BrancoSantoCristo
GamboaSaúde
Santos Dumont Airport
Area covered:
490 hectares
Rehabilitating and expanding roadways
Installing an LRV (Light Rail Vehicle) system
New sewer, water, power and gas lines
Public lighting and storm drains
New telecommunicationssystem
Center
Guanabara Bay
SP
MG ES
Rio de Janeiro
RJ
R i o d e J a n e i r o
Implantação de Veículo Leve sobre Trilho
Regenerating Rio’s docklands
Integrating the docklands into
the Center
Installing a Light Rail Vehicle system
says, “is that all these investments are being made at
the same time. There are 10,000 people at work in the
downtown area building new roads, redirecting and re-
furbishing others, working underground, digging tun-
nels, and remodeling the entire sewer, water, drainage
and telecommunications system in the region. Rio has
not seen this much activity in a very long time.”
Although the center of their city has become a huge
construction site, Rio’s residents are handling the in-
conveniences without complaint. Quite the opposite, in
fact, because they know very well what it signifies. Ga-
briel Catarino, founder of the Association of Residents
and Friends of the Saúde Neighborhood, approves:
“The port area was neglected for 70 years. The Porto
Maravilha project has come to the rescue in a serious
and professional way.”
Jobsites everywhereAll the work being done in downtown Rio – which is
also helping prepare the city to host the 2016 Olympics
and the closing game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup – was
made possible by a Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
focused on the execution of works
and services in the region. The
20 informa
total value of the PPP is BRL 7.6 billion (the largest ever
carried out in Brazil), of which BRL 4.2 billion will be
allocated to construction and BRL 3.4 billion to clean-
ing, traffic management, drainage, and maintenance of
parks and gardens, among others, for a 15-year period.
Odebrecht is participating in the PPP through the Porto
Rio joint-venture contractor (responsible for construc-
tion) and the Porto Novo concession company (the op-
erator of public service concessions).
Odebrecht’s Ricardo Bueno, the Project Director
for Porto Rio, explains the concept behind the works
in progress: “We are building everything from scratch
to ensure that it is well done and set up in a way that
will attract investors and future users.” Among other
infrastructure works, Bueno cites the construction and
installation of 84,000m of drainage systems and cul-
verts (including a 3.80m by 2.20m culvert, big enough
for a car to drive through) to prevent floods in the area,
26,000m of gas pipelines, a new 75,000m fiber optic
telecommunications network, and 500,000m of electric
power networks (about 3,700 utility posts will be deac-
tivated and the entire system of overhead power lines
will be underground).
The road system in the docklands will undergo a
profound change. The demolition of the Perimeter
Highway Overpass, scheduled to begin in the first half
of 2013, is one of the key moves that will link the city
with Guanabara Bay. In its place, about 3.5 km of tun-
nels and a twin system of avenues will serve as routes
for vehicles bound for Niterói, the Baixada Fluminense
area and other regions, as well as those traveling in
the opposite direction towards the center of town.
“With this system in place, traffic capacity will jump
from the current 7,600 vehicles per hour to 10,500 per
hour. We will not just remove the overpass: we will re-
place and expand the entire system,” repeats Bueno.
His teams will also restore secondary roads and side-
walks and install new bike paths.
The project also includes an LRV (Light Rail Vehi-
cle) system integrated with other forms of transporta-
tion to improve road links in the region, giving priority
to pedestrians and reducing pollution.
The region will also be getting two new muse-
ums: the Rio Museum of Art and the Museum of
Tomorrow, the result of a partnership between the
City of Rio and the Roberto Marinho Foundation. De-
signed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the
Museum of Tomorrow is the “cherry on the cake” of
all the projects underway in downtown Rio. Its con-
struction on the old Mauá Square Pier is the respon-
sibility of the Porto Rio joint venture. The museum’s
entrance hall will be 15m high, with bright, spacious
A listed building stands next to a jobsite in the vicinity of Primeiro de Março Avenue: taking care to preserve the city’s historic heritage
Construction works in the Morro da Providência
area: new roads, improved sanitation and
a cable-car system
21informa
areas and a roof covered with fins equipped with pho-
tovoltaic solar cells, which will open and close ac-
cording to weather conditions to make the best use
of sunlight.
To add to Rio’s hospitality facilities for the Olympics,
two hotels will be built, a total of eight buildings that
will house journalists who are not accredited for the
event, and then be turned into residential buildings. In
addition to Odebrecht Infraestrutura, Odebrecht Real-
izações Imobiliárias (Real Estate Developments, OR) is
also participating in this project, called Porto Olímpico
(Olympic Port).
Archaeological findsThe works in downtown Rio began with the Saúde-
Gamboa project, which renovated the area’s infrastruc-
ture (water, sewer, drainage, and telecommunications
systems and conversion to an underground power
grid) and refurbished parks and gardens in the two
neighborhoods. The works included several avenues,
streets and Morro da Conceição. Then came Morro da
Providência’s turn, where improvements to that hill-
side slum’s water and sewer systems have also been
made, and a cable-car system is being built to connect
Brazil Central railway station to Samba City on the wa-
terfront, passing through Américo Brum Square, on
the top of the hill.
Excavations in the Saúde-Gamboa area have found
traces of the former Valongo and Imperatriz (Em-
press) piers. Valongo Pier once received ships that
docked there to disembark enslaved people brought
to Brazil from Africa. Although deactivated in 1831,
it continued to operate illegally for several years. In
1843, Emperor Pedro II ordered the construction of
Imperatriz Pier to receive his bride, Princess Teresa
Cristina. According to historians, he also intended to
bury the memory of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Project teams have found well-preserved sec-
tions of both piers, which facilitated the work of spe-
cialists from the National History Museum, led by Dr.
Tania Andrade Lima, who directed the archaeologi-
cal digs in that area. According to the latest study,
they have found about 80,000 artifacts, including an-
chors, cannonballs, jewelry boxes, necklaces, pipes,
coins, bracelets, pottery shards and many other
items that shed light on the way of life of an era and
the history of the city.
“All the material is being carefully screened, identi-
fied and stored by the National History Museum before
it is transferred to the custody of the Rio de Janeiro
Department of Culture,” says Odebrecht’s Eduardo
Fontenelle, the Project Director for the Saúde-Gamboa
and Morro da Providência projects. Fontenelle also ex-
plains that the archaeologists have unearthed the Va-
longo Hanging Gardens, including the guardhouse and
public urinals that stood there in the first decade of the
19th century. “We’ve brought in a restorer from France,
who has joined the Brazilian team of historians and re-
storers to bring the Valongo Hanging Gardens as close
as possible to their original form.”
From the construction of tunnels to the preserva-
tion of historical artifacts, there are many facets to Ode-
brecht’s work in the Porto Maravilha project. The size and
complexity of the works underway in downtown Rio, the
unconventional financing model and the format of the
project, which includes construction works and the op-
eration of public service concessions, are also a source
of fresh knowledge for the company’s teams. According
to Ricardo Bueno, “This entire experience will be useful
for similar projects in other Brazilian cities, and will pro-
vide yet another alternative for serving clients in the other
countries where Odebrecht is present.”
Excavation underway in Mauá Square: downtown Rio de Janeiro is getting ready to experience a new era
22 informa
THe FOuR LINeSwell outside written by edilson liMa photos by carlos Júnior
22
The TransOeste, TransOlímpica and Metro Line 4 projects, as well as investments in SuperVia, are enabling Rio to host major sporting events and preparing the city for the future
23informa
well outside oorman Edimilson Lima, 36, has good reason
to celebrate the inauguration of the TransOeste
Expressway in Rio de Janeiro. He lives in the
Pedra de Guaratiba neighborhood, and his daily
commuting time to work in Barra da Tijuca has
gone down drastically, from two hours to 40 minutes. “We
used to face long traffic jams early in the morning. Things
are much better now,” he says. Officially opened on June 6,
the TransOeste is the first of four urban mobility projects that
Odebrecht companies are building in the city as part of the
program to prepare Rio de Janeiro to host the 2014 FIFA World
Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
Begun in 2010, the TransOeste project connects Barra
da Tijuca with the Santa Cruz and Campo Grande neighbor-
hoods, all in the West Zone of the city. The project is divided
into four lots, and Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure)
is responsible for two of them (lots I and II), amounting to a
24-km stretch. Highlights include the deployment of the city’s
first BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system and the construction of
the 1.1-km Grota Funda tunnel, which will be run with the
help of an ultra-modern Operations Control Center (OCC).
“The tunnel is the apple of our eye,” says Engineering Man-
ager Tomnila Motta. In addition to the BRT and the tunnel, the
project also involved widening roadways, rehabilitating exist-
ing roads, and constructing bridges and overpasses.
25 BRT stations Odebrecht has built 25 BRT stations for the buses that
will run along that corridor. All of them will be air con-
ditioned and will carry up to 140 people. “The public has
needed a system like this for a very long time. The City had
a dream and we’ve brought it to fruition,” says Project Di-
rector Pedro Moreira.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mayor Eduardo
Paes, Governor Sergio Cabral, former Brazilian President
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Marcelo Odebrecht, President and
CEO of Odebrecht S.A., and Benedicto Junior and Leandro
Azevedo, respectively the CEO and Executive Director of
Odebrecht Infraestrutura for Rio de Janeiro. “Today we are
breaking down a historical social divide,” said Mayor Paes,
referring to the Grota Funda Tunnel, the first to penetrate
the Pedra Branca Massif, the mountain range that runs be-
tween the more developed neighborhoods and the poorest
in the West Zone of Rio. Previously, during rush hour, it took
about 40 minutes just to cross the mountains. Thanks to the
tunnel, it now takes less than a minute, standing to benefit
220,000 people per day.
D
TransOeste’s Novo Leblon Station: air-conditioned buses
seating up to 140 people
24 informa
TransOlímpica Now that the TransOeste system is up and running,
Project Director Pedro Moreira is mobilizing his teams
to tackle another challenge: building the TransOlímpica
Expressway, which will connect the Olympic complex in
Barra da Tijuca with the one the Deodoro, also in the
West Zone. Most of the Olympic events will take place
in these two complexes. “It now takes more than two
hours to get from one to the other. Thanks to TransOlím-
pica, it will take 15 minutes. Traveling time will be much
faster for the athletes, as well as for the people who live
in these areas. Projections show that 50,000 cars will
use this new route every day,” says Fernando Góes, from
Odebrecht TransPort, the Administrative and Financial
Director of the TransOlímpica S.A. concession company.
Formed by Odebrecht TransPort, Invepar and CCR,
TransOlímpica will be responsible for implementing
and operating the expressway through a 35-year con-
cession. TransOlímpica has contracted Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura, OAS and Andrade Gutierrez S.A. to build
the road works.
The new route will be 13.1 km long, with two lanes in
each direction for cars and an exclusive BRT corridor for
buses. In addition to bridges and overpasses, two tunnels
will be built in each direction, with a total length of 3.1 km.
This BRL 1.7-billion project will break ground in 2012.
Carlos Prado, Odebrecht TransPort’s Regional Director
for the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito
Santo, observes: “Local residents will have an entirely
new route they can use with safety, speed and comfort.”
Riding the railsThe City Government is investing in urban mobility,
and Rio de Janeiro State is also doing its part. By De-
cember 2015, it will have will invested USD 7.4 billion
in the Rio Metro’s Line 4, which will connect General
Osório Station in Ipanema to the last station on Line 1
in the South Zone (to be built in the Gávea district) and
then on to Barra da Tijuca. The new line will add over 16
km and six new stations to Rio’s subway system, which
will transport about 250,000 people daily.
The first part of the project is under the responsibil-
ity of Consórcio Construtor Rio Barra (CCRB), a joint-
venture contractor formed by Queiroz Galvão (leader),
Odebrecht Infraestrutura, Carioca Engenharia, Cowan
and Servix. It covers the stretch between Barra da Tijuca
and Gávea, a distance of approximately 12 km. Ground
was broken in September 2010. A 3.3-km section of the
tunnel, the main feature of the project, has already been
drilled (1.6 km from the path of the subway trains, plus
the parking lot and concourse of São Conrado station).
“We are well below the edge of Tijuca Forest Park. Our
work has been monitored to avoid any risks to the plant
and animal life,” says CCRB Production Manager Ju-
liano Penteado.
The second part of the project is the responsibil-
ity of Consórcio Linha 4 Sul. A joint-venture contractor
formed by Odebrecht Infraestrutura (leader), Carioca
Engenharia and Queiroz Galvão, it is building the stretch
between Gávea and the junction with General Osório
From left, Governor Sérgio Cabral, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mayor Eduardo Paes at the opening of TransOeste
Grota Funda Tunnel: benefiting 220,000 people per day
SuperVia Train: new rolling stock is gradually going into service
25informa
1
2
TransOeste56-km route connecting Barra da Tijuca with Santa Cruz and Campo Grande. Odebrecht Infraestrutura built 24 km between Barra da Tijuca and Pedra de Guaratiba.
TransOlímpica13.1-km route linking Barra da Tijuca and Deodoro on a divided highway with 3 lanes in each direction , including a dedicated BRT lane. Two tunnels in each direction with a total length of 3.1-km.
Metro Line 416 km between Barra da Tijuca and Ipanema, running through Gávea.
SuperViaNew trains, an ultra-modern operations control center, revamped stations and a new signaling system. Should reach 1 million passengers per day by 2016. Total investment: BRL 2.4 billion.
3
TransOeste Metro Line 4
Avenida Brasil
Linha AmarelaTransCarioca
TransOlímpica
Santa Cruz
Sepetiba
Pedra deGuaratiba
Guaratiba
Recreio dosBandeirantes
Barra daTijuca
SãoConrado
Jardim Oceânico
N. Sra.da Paz
Antero de Quental
Jd. deAlah Copacabana
Aeroportodo Galeão
Santos Dumont AirportCenterCampo Grande
3
1
2
4
4
Gávea
GeneralOsório
Station. On this section, they will use a con-
vertible EPB TBM (earth pressure balanced
convertible tunnel boring machine), which
will start drilling the tunnel in 2013.
This is the first time a TBM will be used in
Rio de Janeiro. It drills tunnels while simultane-
ously installing the concrete rings that support and line
them. “We will use this machine in sandy and rocky
soils, such as those found in Ipanema and Leblon.
Without the TBM, we would have to dig trenches in the
sandy stretches, which would cause a major headache
for local residents,” explains Marcos Vidigal, the Proj-
ect Director. “We’re going to do our level best to avoid
any inconveniences,” says Production Manager Aluísio
Coutinho Júnior.
SuperViaIn the context of projects to improve the city’s trans-
portation system, SuperVia, the Odebrecht TransPort
subsidiary responsible for the
commuter rail network in the
Rio de Janeiro metropolitan
region, is implementing a BRL
2.4-billion investment program in
partnership with the State Govern-
ment. It plans to purchase 120 new trains,
30 of which are gradually going into service, joining the
current fleet of 160 trains. Sixty more will be tendered
by the end of the year. The remaining 30 will be pur-
chased by 2015.
In early 2012, SuperVia opened a new OCC equipped
with a modern communications system integrated
with the trains, which includes a digital dashboard that
consolidates information from the entire rail network.
The company is currently installing a new signaling
system that will halve the train headway, reducing the
interval of time between two trains boarded to three
minutes. In addition to the construction of three new
stations, one of which opened in the first half of 2012,
the 99 existing stations and infrastructure (tracks,
overhead cables, stations and power substations) will
undergo improvements. “The legacy of these sporting
events will be high-quality rail transportation for the
local population,” says Carlos José Cunha, President
of SuperVia. The company plans to increase its trans-
port capacity from the current 540,000 passengers per
day to 1,000,000 by 2016.
According to Leandro Azevedo, the city is writing a
new chapter in its history with regards to urban mobil-
ity: “Wherever you go, there is a major project under-
way. Each and every one is designed to transform the
city once and for all.”
1
2
TransOeste56-km route connecting Barra da Tijuca with Santa Cruz and Campo Grande. Odebrecht Infraestrutura built 24 km between Barra da Tijuca and Pedra de Guaratiba.
TransOlímpica13.1-km route linking Barra da Tijuca and Deodoro on a divided highway with 3 lanes in each direction , including a dedicated BRT lane. Two tunnels in each direction with a total length of 3.1-km.
Metro Line 416 km between Barra da Tijuca and Ipanema, running through Gávea.
SuperViaNew trains, an ultra-modern operations control center, revamped stations and a new signaling system. Should reach 1 million passengers per day by 2016. Total investment: BRL 2.4 billion.
3
TransOeste Metro Line 4
Avenida Brasil
Linha AmarelaTransCarioca
TransOlímpica
Santa Cruz
Sepetiba
Pedra deGuaratiba
Guaratiba
Recreio dosBandeirantes
Barra daTijuca
SãoConrado
Jardim Oceânico
N. Sra.da Paz
Antero de Quental
Jd. deAlah Copacabana
Aeroportodo Galeão
Santos Dumont AirportCenterCampo Grande
3
1
2
4
4
Gávea
GeneralOsório
26 informa
26
eVeRY SINGLe DAYwinning
A partnership between the Brazilian Navy and Odebrecht grooms athletes and citizens
orn on Caratateua Island in the Brazilian state of Pará,
welterweight Wesley Paiva, 18, lost his father when he was
9 months old. He was a rebellious child. “I used to get into
street fights. I was a real handful,” he says. His uncle Fran-
cisco, a former boxer, saw the ring as a way to calm his
nephew’s aggressive behavior. It changed Wesley’s life: “The sport made me
disciplined, even in school,” he says. Wesley is now one of 18 athletes adopted
by the Brazilian Navy/Odebrecht Olympic Project, based at the Admiral Adal-
berto Nunes Physical Education Center (CEFAN) in Rio de Janeiro. “Our goal
is to prepare high-performing young athletes to represent this country at the
Olympics. But going beyond those results, which are excellent, we are also
Bwritten by Eduardo souza lima photos by rogério rEis
27informa
winning
grooming future responsible adults who will serve as role models for
other youths,” explains Marie Bendelac, the project’s coordinator. Wes-
ley is not just another role model: he used the money from Odebrecht’s
grant to help his uncle open a gym to put “wayward boys” – as Wesley
describes himself in his younger days – on the right track.
In addition to boxing, the project provides support for weight-lift-
ing and athletics. Rogério Nascimento da Silva, 16, was born in Rio’s
Laranjeiras district and has been lifting weights since 2010. His father
left home when he was 8 years old. “Now sports are my passion,” he
emphasizes. Under-age athletes will receive the assistance they need
to develop their skills. When they turn 18, they will leave the program to
make way for other young people, and possibly join the Navy. Rogério
has already made up his mind: “I want to be a Marine.”
The young athletes must be disciplined and respectful, get good
grades in school and show excellent athletic performance. Rogério
holds the Brazilian record in his class. Another precocious record-
holder, Emily Rosa Figueiredo, 14, has dreamed of being an Olympic
weightlifting champion since she was 6. “I’ve always liked a challenge,”
she says. She has been getting good results since she began train-
ing: “I’ve broken three records in less than a month.” Sprinter Vitória
Cristina Silva Rosa, 16, also comes from Rio and is as victorious as her
name: she is the state champion and the runner-up in the Brazilian
juvenile ranking in the 100m dash, with a time of 12.7 seconds. She is
also an excellent student.
“Passion for fights”“I got into boxing because my father always had a passion for
fights,” says Julio Cezar Sales Cardoso, 17, from Vila Velha, Espírito
Santo. In 2010, he participated in the Espírito Santo trials for the na-
tional boxing championship. “I won the trials and the silver medal in
the Brazilian tournament,” he says. Since he started training at CE-
FAN, the welterweight has become the Brazilian champion cadet and
won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Ecuador. The ath-
letes receive grants ranging from one to three minimum monthly sala-
ries (the minimum monthly salary is currently BRL 622). “My father left
us when I was born, and my two brothers started working when they
were young. Now I can help them,” says Renan Macedo da Costa, 18,
from Barcarena, Pará. But it wasn’t easy to convince his mother that
he had a future in boxing: “My first bout was on the sly,” he says. Today,
the fly-weight is the national cadet champion.
Sprinter Luiz Gustavo dos Santos Ribeiro, 18, hails from Macaé, Rio
de Janeiro, and is already a young father. The grant is helping him raise
his son. He started running at school, and has an innate talent for the
sport: “I was already getting good results before I started training. I was
state champion in the School Olympics in the 100m sprint and Brazil-
ian vice-champion in the relay.” Luiz comes from a large family: he
has six siblings. Although he is sometimes homesick, he knows that
the chance of a better future is within his grasp: “Athletics has opened
doors for me,” he says. Bring in the Olympic medals.
Luiz Gustavo Ribeiro (on the right in this photo) and welterweight Wesley Paiva (in the smaller photo): seizing the chance to realize a dream
28 informa
HOMeS FOR HeROeS AT THe RIO
olympics
28
written by Perla liMa photos by andré valentiM
From left, Antonio Pessoa, Carlos Carvalho and Carlos Armando Paschoal, on the site where Ilha Pura will be built: urban planning and development
29informa
The village that will house Olympic athletes in Rio in 2016 will arise from an innovative concept
he Athletes’ Village for the Olympic and Paralympic games
that will be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 is based on an inno-
vative concept for Brazil and the world. Unlike most “Olympic
cities,” which are historically built in degraded areas in need of
regeneration, Rio’s Athletes’ Village will be built in Ilha Pura, a
district that will be developed over the course of 15 years by the company of
the same name. Ilha Pura is becoming a new sector of the Barra da Tijuca
region, which is establishing itself as the biggest vector of growth for the
state capital’s metropolitan area and the target of major investments in
urban mobility.
T
30 informa
“The creation of the Ilha Pura company, which will
transform this dream into a tangible fact, is the result of
the combination of the philosophy of action and expertise
of Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias (Real Estate Devel-
opments, OR) and Carvalho Hosken’s vision of develop-
ment and perpetuity,” says the company’s CEO, Carlos
Armando Paschoal.
Mário Cilenti, Director for Relations with the Olym-
pic and Paralympic Committee and the Olympic Village,
observes that the village will be a five-minute drive
from Olympic Park, where most of the events will take
place, and its standards will conform to the upscale real
estate market of Barra da Tijuca. “We have matched
the needs of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
with a commitment to sell these units,” says Mário. All
the 3,604 apartments to be used by 18,000 athletes will
be sold before the Olympics and delivered to end cus-
tomers up to one year after the Games. “The great thing
is that we will use this new venture as a resort for the
athletes, due to its high standard of quality.”
Antônio Pessoa, Regional Director of OR for Rio de
Janeiro, explains: “The challenge is to develop, sell and
deliver a high-quality project on time while exceeding the
expectations of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic
Games and the athletes.” He adds: “The legacy for our cli-
ents and buyers, the Ilha Pura district and Rio de Janeiro
will be a project that combines sustainability, luxury and
quality of life.”
Carlos Carvalho, President and CEO of Carvalho Hosken,
observes that the Athletes’ Village is included in the future
center of the new city that is arising in Rio’s West Zone. “Ilha
Pura will be a watershed in the urban development of Rio
de Janeiro, because it is being born as a planned neighbor-
hood while benefiting from the major infrastructure projects
underway in the surrounding area.”
Thirty-one 17-story towers Ilha Pura covers a 870,000-squ.m area, 247,000
sq.m of which are reserved for the construction of the
Athletes’ Village. Carlos Armando Paschoal, CEO of
Ilha Pura, points out that the project is a private in-
vestment and a unique challenge for Brazil. “This will
be the first time in this country that 31 towers have
been built with 17 floors each, divided into seven con-
dominiums with full private infrastructure in just three
and a half years. This involves dealing with quantities
that are similar to major infrastructure projects.” For
example, Carlos Armando explains that the volume of
concrete used on this project is equivalent to a dam,
and the number of workers on the construction site
could reach 5,500. “We have the responsibility and
unique opportunity to educate people and create inno-
vative management systems for logistics and sustain-
ability,” he says.
As for the project’s legacy, Carlos Armando high-
lights Ilha Pura’s contribution to sustainable devel-
opment in Rio de Janeiro. “It contains a 65,000-sq.m
public park with a 20,000-sq.m nursery built specifically
as part of the landscaping of the Athletes’ Village, de-
signed by the firm of architect and landscape architect
Burle Marx.”
Workers from the surrounding communities will
have an opportunity to acquire job skills through the
Acreditar (Believe) Ongoing Professional Education
Program, and learn computer skills through the Hit the
Net program. Carlos Armando observes: “This project
is a model of quality and sustainability. This will be the
best Athletes’ Village ever!” Antônio Pessoa firmly be-
lieves that, starting with the Athletes’ Village, the Ilha
Pura district “will be one of the best places to live in Rio
de Janeiro.”
Mário Cilenti: high standard of quality
31informa31
In Deodápolis,
Mato Grosso do Sul,
the Broto de Gente
project offers tutoring,
arts and IT classes
and sports
written by guilherMe oliveira
photos by Bruna roMaro
Program participants playing volleyball in Deodápolis: activities for youth that stimulate mind and body
eodápolis is a small town in the west-
central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso
do Sul. According to the 2011 Census,
it is the state’s 46th-largest munici-
pality in terms of population, which
is just over 12,000 inhabitants. Most of them make
a living, directly or indirectly, from the operations
that produce ethanol, electricity and sugar at ETH
Bioenergy’s Eldorado Unit.
The creation of work and income opportunities is
the company’s biggest contribution to local devel-
opment, but a further initiative has drawn particu-
lar attention: the Broto de Gente (Young Sprouts)
project, which offers about 260 young people be-
tween the ages of 4 and 15 free tutoring in Por-
tuguese, math and a foreign language. Created in
2002 to take care of members’ children during their
work shifts, Broto de Gente has grown to become a
major cultural and leisure option for young people
in that town.
D
HIGHscoring
32 informa
The high demand from parents to get their chil-
dren a hotly disputed place in the project is eas-
ily justified: in addition to those classes, it also of-
fers courses and training in IT, art, theater, dance,
capoeira, soccer and volleyball. Sports are the most
popular activities. “The rule is simple: If you’re do-
ing well at school, you can play,” explains Riverton
Souza, the project’s Educational Coordinator. That
agreement is taken seriously. “We conduct quarterly
monitoring of each of the seven schools in the city
and help guide the parents when necessary.” With-
out intending or wanting to replace the schools or
the indispensable role of parents, Broto de Gente
has found that sports are a tool for educating and
grooming young people who value respect, disci-
pline and teamwork.
“Over time, we’ve noticed an improvement in their
grades, but what impressed us the most was the
change of attitude in students participating in Broto
de Gente. They know that whoever disrespects their
classmates or teachers will be off the team,” says
Célia Moraes, Principal of Scila Médici State School.
Making a dream come trueRodrigo Felix is a home-grown star who inspires
the younger kids. The son of ETH members, and a
Broto de Gente student since the age of seven, he
says that he was getting so much out of the project
that he convinced his parents to move from Nova Al-
vorada do Sul to Deodápolis. He told part of his story
in issue no. 155 of Odebrecht Informa when he was
13: how much he enjoyed the soccer and computer
classes. “I wanted to be a soccer player, and Broto
de Gente was my best chance to do that. Riverton
trusted me.” The coach and teacher started taking
the young man to try-outs at São Paulo clubs. Today,
at age 17, Rodrigo wears the jersey of the Osasco
Soccer Club, a team formed to discover young talent
from all over Brazil. But the project’s rule is still the
same: if you don’t study, you don’t play.
Like Rodrigo, many children and teens partici-
pating in Broto de Gente dream of making a living
as professional athletes. One of them is Rafael Fer-
nandes, 11, better known as Rafinha. With the help
of Riverton and Rafinha’s brother Dernivaldo Ma-
33informa
noel, a member of ETH’s Eldorado Unit, the young
man has participated in starter team try-outs for the
São Paulo Soccer Club, one of the most important
squads in the country. In September, Rafinha will
spend another week at the club’s Training Center in
Cotia, São Paulo. The bus ride there will take over
12 hours. Despite his youth, the striker knows that
not everyone gets to turn pro, but that doesn’t worry
him. “I’m going to make friends and have a good
time.” With a daily routine of training on the soccer
pitch and in the sand, as well as scoring exercises
and skill training, Rafinha does not hesitate when
asked what else they teach him at Broto de Gente:
“I’m learning to teach people to do good. Just like
my family did at ETH, here I’m learning to serve oth-
ers and never give up.”
Rodrigo Félix (center): persistence and help in achieving his goal. Opposite, young dancers in action: a varied range of activities is one of the project’s main characteristics
34 informa
INTERVIEW
34
written by cláudio lovato Filho photos by holanda cavalcanti and mário grisolli
THe GReATeST legacy of allenedicto Barbosa da Silva Junior is an
entrepreneur and soccer fan (“more like
a fanatic”), but, above all, he is a Brazil-
ian who knows his country well. At 51,
the CeO of Odebrecht Infraestrutura (In-
frastructure) is spearheading the com-
pany’s participation in a number of projects that are part
of Brazil’s preparations to host the two largest sporting
events on the planet: the FIFA World Cup (in 2014) and
the Rio Olympics (in 2016). As an entrepreneur, he feels
driven to participate in complex, innovative projects with
a huge legacy, most of them long awaited, and therefore
challenging. As a sports fan, he is happy to experience
first-hand the process of constructing large arenas (in-
cluding his beloved club’s stadium), which he says could
play a role in modernizing the management of Brazilian
soccer. As a citizen, Benedicto Junior is confident – more
than that, he is convinced – that his country will host the
most joyful and exciting World Cup and Olympics in recent
memory. Their greatest legacy? “Proving to ourselves that
we are capable of such accomplishments as a people”:
the legacy of increased Brazilian self-esteem.
Odebrecht Informa – Can you describe the process of
preparing Odebrecht to participate in major sports
arena projects? What were some of the major mile-
stones?
Benedicto Junior – In the late 1990s and early 2000s,
the leadership of Vasco da Gama and, somewhat
later, the Botafogo and Fluminense soccer clubs,
expressed their desire to build new stadiums. In the
end, those projects did not go ahead. There were
other initiatives, also in Rio, which ended up not go-
ing forward for Odebrecht. until the city was chosen
to host the 2007 Pan American Games, that is. We
took charge of the restoration of the Maracanã and
Maracanãzinho stadium complex. And later on, also
in the context of works for those games, we were
contracted to install the smart building systems and
finish constructing João Havelange Olympic Stadi-
um, or engenhão, as the locals have affectionately
dubbed it. On that project we faced the challenge of
finishing the stadium in record time, seven months,
after replacing the joint-venture contractor that was
in charge of the infrastructure works. The biggest
challenge was installing the roof arches in that very
short timeframe. The joint venture that was leaving
the project had completed 25% of that stage in 15
months, and we would have seven months to deliver
the remaining 75%. With our contribution, engen-
hão was listed [by the British magazine SportBusi-
ness] as one of the top 10 sports facilities built in the
world in 2007. Our participation in those works for
the Pan American Games resulted in a tremendous
engineering asset for Odebrecht. Our experience on
engenhão was an important milestone in our history
of building major arenas.
B
35informa
Benedicto Junior: proving the Brazilian people’s capacity to host major events
legacy of all
36 informa
OI – Could you sum up the current status of the
four stadiums Odebrecht is building or renovating
for the 2014 World Cup: Maracanã and the Corin-
thians, Pernambuco and Fonte Nova arenas? What
percentage of progress is each project making?
Benedicto Junior – The projects in São Paulo and
Pernambuco are more than 40% done. In Rio and
Bahia, they are over 50% complete. After breaking
ground, we faced an additional challenge in Rio
de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Bahia: in 2011 those
three stadiums joined the list of venues for the
Confederations Cup to be held in 2013. That sig-
nificantly reduced the deadlines for those projects
by 12 months on average, but everything is run-
ning on schedule. Work on the Corinthians Arena
is going like gangbusters. We are working with the
BNDeS (National economic and Social Develop-
ment Bank) and the Bank of Brazil to conclude the
financial engineering for that project, which is the
only one with funding still pending.
OI – Arena construction projects have to go beyond
the stadiums themselves. You must take the sur-
rounding area into account as well. Rio, São Paulo,
Recife and Salvador are four major cities whose daily
lives are replete with challenges. How will the con-
struction of these arenas benefit those communities?
Benedicto Junior – The arenas alone are important
assets for their communities, but the highlight is the
legacy of social integration they will bring in their
wake. Take Corinthians Arena for example. The Ita-
quera neighborhood, where it is being built, is very
needy. I have no doubt that we can divide the history
of that neighborhood and the surrounding region
into “before” and “after” the arena. Previously, no in-
vestments had been made in Itaquera, but now the
arena will bring about profound changes due to the
improved transport infrastructure, increased prop-
erty values, and the arrival of businesses, shops and
service providers. Today land values in the region
have gone up something like 50%. The situation in
Pernambuco is different, but the prospects are just
as encouraging. There, thanks to the government’s
modern and bold vision, Cidade da Copa (World Cup
City) will become a new vector of development for
Greater Recife and the interior of the state, which will
join the current vectors in the coastal regions to the
south and north. In Bahia, the rebirth of Fonte Nova
Arena will bring about the regeneration of a social and
historical asset that has what it takes to add value to
Bahia’s most important exports to the rest of Brazil,
going beyond soccer: its unique culture and popular
music concerts. Fonte Nova Arena will be a new en-
tertainment hub for Salvador’s residents. In Rio, you
could say we have the most iconic of all these ongo-
ing initiatives: refurbishing Maracanã, which opened
during the 1950 World Cup, when it served as a dem-
onstration of Brazil’s capacity to undertake complex
engineering and construction works. Through this
revitalization project, Maracanã will certainly become
a byword for comfort, safety and advanced technol-
ogy, in line with the stricter requirements of the 21st
century. Furthermore, the area around this stadium,
which will also host Olympic events, will be the target
of a number of investments that will transform the
local scene in terms of urban mobility and housing,
among other things, integrating this historic giant
into its surroundings.
OI – As we both well know, soccer is more than
just a sport in Brazil. It is a national passion and
a factor that helps define an identity. You are not
only an entrepreneur who heads arena construc-
tion projects but a soccer fan. In your opinion,
what will be the future impact of the era this
country is currently experiencing – the construc-
tion of major sports arenas in several cities?
What sort of changes could this bring about?
Benedicto Junior – The current era for Brazilian
soccer leads to important reflections: first, about
new ways to build arenas, but more than that, about
the participation of private enterprise in the design
and management of these arenas. Club directors
and supporters who do not have the privilege of up-
grading their “home” may ask: why doesn’t my club
have a modern arena? What are we missing out on?
But this is only the initial reflection, because deep-
er issues are coming to light. The construction of
new arenas has led to the discovery of new forms
of management, not only for the physical facili-
ties but the clubs themselves. It has led to greater
professionalism. We are gradually approaching the
reality of european clubs, which can sell tickets to
their games for this year and the next. The pres-
36 informa
37informa
ence of private enterprise is helping modernize
the clubs’ management. New leaders are coming
in with new ideas and a fresh way of looking at old
problems. Brazilian soccer must not miss this op-
portunity. It’s a win-win relationship.
OI – Rio de Janeiro is not only hosting World Cup
matches (including the final game) but the Olym-
pics as well. The city is already making profound
changes in its infrastructure. Odebrecht is play-
ing a prominent role in preparing the city for the
two biggest sporting events on the planet. How did
Odebrecht prepare itself to make this contribu-
tion? How did the historical relationship between
the Group and Rio de Janeiro help in all that?
Benedicto Junior – To start with, Odebrecht began
its national expansion in Rio de Janeiro. It was born
in Recife, grew up in Salvador, and became a state-
wide company in Bahia, then regionalized in the
Northeast and went on to establish a national pres-
ence, starting in Rio de Janeiro. It built major works
in that state, such as Rio International Airport,
Angra Nuclear Power Plant No. 1, the headquarters
buildings of Petrobras and BNDeS and the Rio Sul
Complex, among many others. In 1993, when many
companies were leaving Rio, Construtora Norberto
Odebrecht moved its headquarters there. We came
here to be closer to some of our major clients,
such as Petrobras, Furnas and eletrobrás, whose
headquarters were located here. We have always
believed in this city and its power to overcome chal-
lenges, its ability to get back on its feet. We came
here to stay, and because of that we have developed
a long, productive and you could even say affection-
ate relationship with Rio de Janeiro.
OI – What are the highlights of that relationship
nowadays?
Benedicto Junior – The 2016 Olympics are the
main goal of the transformations underway in Rio
today. As a result, the city will offer an even more
comprehensive and appropriate urban transport
system. One of the first improvements in this area
is the 56-km TransOeste express bus corridor be-
tween Barra da Tijuca and Santa Cruz, in the West
Zone of the city. We will soon begin work on the
TransOlímpica corridor, a new route linking Rec-
reio dos Bandeirantes and Deodoro, with dedicat-
ed lanes for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system.
Then there’s the expansion of the Metro, which is
advancing in four directions – from Barra to São
Conrado, from São Conrado to Barra and Gávea,
and from Ipanema to Gávea – through more than
2,200m of tunnels that have already been built,
and will be completed when more projects in Ip-
anema and Leblon are up and running. Another
major challenge is the ongoing modernization of
the commuter rail system, a project carried out
jointly by the State Government and SuperVia, a
subsidiary of Odebrecht TransPort. This is defi-
nitely Odebrecht’s biggest challenge in Brazil. But
it must be said that the works being built for the
2016 Olympics will be remembered, above all, for
the regeneration and urban renewal of the dock-
lands through the Porto Maravilha project, led by
the City of Rio and the result of the biggest urban
PPP (Public Private Partnership) underway in this
country.
“The 2016 Olympics are the main goal of the transformations underway in Rio today. The city will get an even more comprehensive and appropriate urban transport system”
38 informa
“It’s no good
having a perfectly
organized World
Cup if it is unable
to convey the
thrill that people
want, deserve
and must have
when they visit
our country”
OI – You always say that Odebrecht “believed in
the Olympic dream” of Rio de Janeiro...
Benedicto Junior – Yes, we’ve always believed
in the success of this project, the realization of
this dream. Plus, I’ve always believed that the
choice of Rio to host the Olympics is, somehow,
a form of reparations to the city on the nation-
al level, and worldwide recognition of Brazil’s
“calling card.”
OI – Reparations? How so?
Benedicto Junior – When, after two centuries,
Rio ceased to be the capital of Brazil in the early
1960s, nothing was done to compensate the city
for the losses it would suffer as a result. There
wasn’t a plan. Rio began to undergo a process
of economic and political decline. Fortunately,
this process has begun to be remedied in recent
years. But it still needed a plan to compensate
the city for the loss of its status as the federal capi-
tal. That opportunity has come about through the
extraordinary events the city will host and the major
requirements they have generated. This will result
in a significant improvement in quality of life for local
residents and a new impetus that will keep the city
on the path of sustainable development.
OI – In short, why is it a good deal for a country to
host a World Cup? And why is it worthwhile for a
city to host the Olympics?
Benedicto Junior – It is worthwhile, especially be-
cause it gives the country an opportunity to show
itself and the world that it is capable of building
extraordinary projects. For Brazil, I am convinced
that the greatest legacy of the World Cup and the
Olympics is this: to prove to ourselves that we are
capable of such accomplishments as a people.
The greatest legacy will be the Brazilian people’s
increased self-esteem.
OI – Will Brazil be prepared to host the World
Cup and the Olympics flawlessly?
Benedicto Junior – The World Cup and the Olympics
will be flawless, yes, but we will do it our way. I think
everything can be summed up by something I heard
from experts in major international events: “Ger-
many held the most organized event on the planet
[the 2006 World Cup] and Brazil will hold the hap-
piest event on the planet.” We will host the happiest
[FIFA World] Cup of all time, the most joyful. It’s no
good having a perfectly organized Cup if it is unable
to convey the thrill that people want, deserve and
must have when they visit our country. Let’s hold a
Cup where Brazilians and tourists alike feel happy
because they are enjoying an experience that goes
beyond taking part in a major event. We want to give
people much more than that, and we will succeed.
OI – Here is a question for Benedicto Junior the
soccer fan: Will Brazil become a six-time cham-
pion in the 2014 World Cup?
Benedicto Junior – Yes we will! It’s impossible to
work on the Maracanã project and see everything
that is being done and not visualize Brazil play-
ing at the Cup final there, and winning. We have to
erase the memory of 1950!
38 informa
39informa
CAPTuRING CeLeBRATIONS OF LIFeSee the winners of Odebrecht Informa’s Sports in Focus photo contest
CONTEST
The photos by Carolina Almeida de Souza and (below) Anderson Munhoz: first prize in the Camera and Cell Phone categories, respectively
written by eManuella soMBra
T he subject? Sports. The tools? A camera or
cell phone. More than 60 amateur photogra-
phers took part in the Sports in Focus con-
test organized by Odebrecht Informa, which set
the following challenge: in one shot, Group mem-
bers should show how different kinds of sports
drive the communities where they live and work.
Carolina Almeida de Souza, from Odebrecht
Energia, won first prize in the Camera category
with her photo of stand-up paddlers in Copaca-
bana: “The sport is catching on in the city and it
is quite common to see paddlers on weekends,”
says Carolina, who works in Rio de Janeiro. Lau-
ren Pereira, from Odebrecht International in
Guinea-Conakry, and Erick Marcel Carvalho, from
Odebrecht Infraestrutura in Marabá, Paraná, Bra-
zil, were respectively the second- and third-prize
winners.
Another photo sums up how strength and unity
go together when working as a team. “I saw a
group of athletes exercising on the beach in Rio
de Janeiro. Each of them depended on the other to
keep their balance,” explains Anderson Munhoz,
from Odebrecht Infraestrutura, who also works
in Rio and was the winner in the Cell Phone cat-
egory. José Marcelo de Oliveira, from Foz do Bra-
sil in Limeira, São Paulo, and Francisco da Cunha
Melo, from Odebrecht Infraestrutura in Rio, won
second and third prize in that category.
Four members received honorable mention:
Alex da Silva Guedes and Julian de Paula Santos,
from Odebrecht Infraestrutura in Rio, Olavo de
Pinho, from Foz do Brazil in Itapemirim, Espírito
Santo, and Lauren Pereira, the only participant to
have two photos chosen by the judges.
The judging committee included Marco Antônio
Antunes, Responsible for Communication for the
Corinthians Arena project, Sérgio Bourroul, Re-
sponsible for Press Relations at Odebrecht S.A.,
Odebrecht Informa Photo Editor Holanda Caval-
canti and photographer Rubens Fernandes Ju-
nior, Director of the Armando Álvares Penteado
Foundation (FAAP) School of Communication and
Marketing.
You can read the stories behind the winning
photos in a report that will published in the on-
line edition of Odebrecht Informa. You will also
be able to see the winners in both categories and
four honorable mentions - plus a selection of the
photos submitted.
Just log onto www.odebrechtonline.com.br
39informa
40 informa
Fact sheets, news, photos, online cameras and videos can all be found on the website for the four arenas being built or
refurbished to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup
written by Júlio césar soares
he construction and refur-
bishing of the venues that
will host the opening and fi-
nal games of the 2014 FIFA World
Cup (Corinthians Arena and Mara-
canã Stadium, respectively) as well
as the Fonte Nova and Pernambuco
arenas have made Odebrecht a fre-
quent name in the Brazilian media,
particularly the sports pages of
newspapers and specialized web-
sites. “To enhance our image as
a result of this major exposure, it
became clear to us that we needed
to set up consolidated Communi-
cation programs that would give
an added boost to initiatives al-
ready underway at each of the four
arenas,” says Antonio Carlos de
Faria, the officer Responsible for
Communication at Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura (Infrastructure).
This observation led to the cre-
ation of the “Odebrecht at the Cup”
website. Created in the first half
of 2011, it offers fact sheets, news
items, photos, and online camera
and video feeds from all four sta-
diums in a single database. “Each
project has its own Communication
COMMUNICATION
“Odebrecht at the Cup”: journalists use the website as a source of information
scr
een
sh
ot
eYe ON THe PRIZe
T
40
41informa
program but through this website
we can offer information seam-
lessly while spotlighting the impor-
tant role of Odebrecht Infraestru-
tura and its partners,” explains
Antonio Carlos.
Almost a year and over 1.6 mil-
lion page views later, the “Ode-
brecht at the Cup” site already has
a few historic milestones under
its belt, such as the augmented
reality view of Maracanã. Using a
webcam and a printed code, fans
can take virtual tours of one of the
world’s most famous stadiums.
Pictures of the implosion of the
old Fonte Nova Stadium, which
were particular moving for fans of
the Bahia soccer club, are another
highlight. The scale model for the
Corinthians Arena, which had over
300,000 views in one week, is still
a major attraction. “The website
conveys the message of techni-
cal expertise and concern for the
community, which is essential
to enabling the general public to
learn more about Odebrecht,” ar-
gues Antonio Carlos.
Journalists often use informa-
tion from the site in their reports.
“It’s the easiest and fastest way to
clear up technical questions about
these projects,” says Leandro
Canônico, a reporter from globoe-
sporte.com. According to Carlos
Hermanny, Odebrecht Infraestru-
tura’s Executive Director for the
2014 World Cup, that is precisely
what the site was designed to do:
“Providing more information than
the media does, with a focus on vi-
sual information of a technical na-
ture.” He adds: “This enables fans
to learn more about the stadiums
and see that they are the result of
hard work and dedication.”
In June, some of the news was
about the website itself. “We now
have a new layout and cameras,
so we can give even better service
to our visitors,” says Ana Carolina
Martins, the Odebrecht Infraestru-
tura Communication team’s officer
Responsible for the site. Positioned
at each construction site, the cam-
eras take pictures from 7 am to 7
pm. “We will have a one-hour de-
lay for easier navigation, and after
8 pm, visitors can watch a loop of
the last hour of pictures,” explains
Ana Carolina.
But that’s not all. The website
will also feature 360-degree pho-
tos and a quiz with prizes for the
highest scores: invitations to visit
the jobsite. “All this encourages
greater interaction with visitors
and more participation from our
users. The goal is to provide fresh
content all the time,” says Ana
Carolina.
Flow of informationFeeding the site with content
requires fast and careful work
from the people responsible for
covering the four stadiums, which
are the objects of intense passions
and have many stories to tell. “We
often send information to ‘Ode-
brecht at the Cup,’ and answer
the team’s requests immediately,”
explains Ana Luiza Dornelas, a
member of the Pernambuco Are-
na project’s Communication team.
“In addition to immediately posting
important breaking news, we also
try to deal with all the Internet us-
ers’ requests,” adds Marco Antonio
Antunes, the officer Responsible
for Communication for the Corin-
thians Arena project.
“We also publish news about
other events, such as visits from
FIFA delegations, social activi-
ties and interactive content on
the site,” says Carine Aprile, the
officer Responsible for Commu-
nication for the Fonte Nova Arena
project. Igor Lamy, the officer Re-
sponsible for Communication at
Maracanã, says: “The ‘Odebrecht
at the Cup’ site is an important
tool for publishing information, as
well as sharing expertise with the
other projects.”
“The website
conveys the
message of
technical
expertise and
concern for the
community”
Antonio Carlos de Faria
phot
o: c
ar
los
Jún
ior
42 informa
HeARTS IN THe
arenaThe Corinthians Arena and Maracanã Stadium will host the beginning and end of an event that will rally the world in 2014
42
Revamping Maracanã: a new stage in the life of Rio’s legendary stadium
43informa
written by luiz carlos raMos photos by aMérico verMelho (Maracanã) and Yann vadaru (corinthians arena)
arena or two days in 2014, half the world will have its eyes
glued to stadiums in two of Brazil’s largest cities:
the future Corinthians Arena in São Paulo and the
refurbished Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
In addition to the crowds in the stands, approxi-
mately 3.5 billion people from more than 200 countries will watch
the opening of the World Cup on television, scheduled for June
12 in São Paulo, and a similar number of viewers will watch the
final, to be held in Rio de Janeiro’s giant stadium on July 13. Both
facilities, which symbolize the talent of Brazilian soccer stars and
the country’s passion for the most popular sport on the planet,
are being constructed and renovated day and night at an acceler-
ated pace, reinforcing the World Cup’s predicted success.
In addition to participating in these two projects, Odebrecht
Infraestrutura (Infrastructure) teams are also active in the con-
struction of two more stadiums for the FIFA World Cup: the Fonte
Nova Arena in Salvador and the Pernambuco Arena in the Recife
region which, like Maracanã, will also host Confederations Cup
matches in June 2013.
Brazil is watching. So is the world. And they are all asking the
same question: will they be ready in time? Odebrecht Informa
visited the Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Recife stadi-
ums and spoke to leaders and team members who already had
the answer: yes, the projects will be completed within the time-
frames. And not just that, as they will also be contributing to the
emergence of new paradigms in the construction of large sports
F
44 informa
arenas in the country. In this article you will find out more
about people who are transforming the dream of a rejuve-
nated Maracanã and a newly built Corinthians Arena into a
reality, ready to host passionate and faithful supporters.
A refurbished stage for the finalIn 2014 Maracanã will be almost nothing like the stadium
that hosted the 1950 World Cup. Its glorious 60-year history,
with photos and relics of the great stars and unforgettable
soccer classics, will be displayed in a museum next to the
stadium, which is being prepared to become one of the
most modern and comfortable of its kind in the world. “The
changes are both radical and necessary,” explains Project
Director Paulo Falcão Correa Filho. “The end result will be
a beautiful stadium seating 79,500 people; a multi-purpose
arena.” More than 5,000 people are working on these con-
struction projects on a daily basis.
The project is the responsibility of a joint-venture con-
tractor formed by Odebrecht Infraestrutura (leader) and
Andrade Gutierrez. The State Government, which owns Ma-
racanã, is the client, through the State of Rio Public Works
Companies (emop), whose President, Ícaro Moreno, visits
the jobsite every day. The stadium was closed to soccer two
years ago. Ícaro predicts: “Despite the time that has already
been dedicated to seeking a solution for covering the stands,
the work will be completed by the beginning of 2013. The
hardest 55% has been completed; there’s 45% left to go.”
Project Manager Carlos Bernardo Zaeyen, who has
played an active role in the project from the start, also
worked on the revamp of Maracanã for the 2007 Pan
American Games. He agrees with Paulo Falcão’s and Íca-
ro Moreno’s optimistic forecasts, announcing a new and
important stage: the installation of a cover for the stands.
“The plan was to maintain the old marquee and widen it
with a steel extension, but it became clear that the struc-
ture had deteriorated over the years and would have to
be demolished,” Zaeyen informs. “The marquee was de-
molished and now a concrete ring is being installed. Steel
rods will emerge from it to hold up the cover, which is
made of special resistant fabric.”
Characters in a beautiful storyZaeyen and Falcão ride up to the highest level in an el-
evator from where all of the work on the upper and lower
stands and in the surrounding areas can be seen, with
Mount Corcovado, a symbol of Rio, in the background.
The lower stairway will be closer to the pitch, and the
plastic seats will soon be installed.
Paulo Falcão explains that he recently went to the
Netherlands to visit the modern Amsterdam ArenA: “We
will be able to do the same thing here that is happening
there. As soon as a concert ends, they put the grass back
in the stage area and it is ready for a soccer game.” Fal-
cão toured the Dutch arena alongside Carlos Alberto Tor-
res, captain of the Brazil team that won the World Cup in
Mexico in 1970.
Clockwise from top, Arnaldo Cambraia and Almir Fontenele in the Stadium Radio studio; Fluminense fan Raquel Souza da Silva; workers watching co-workers play ball at the Itaquera jobsite; and Flamengo fan Carla de Jesus Arthur: people who are making the new Maracanã Stadium and Corinthians Arena a reality
45informa
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo, twice-champion on the pitch
and the team’s coach for its third world championship, was
moved by his recent participation at the monthly Breakfast
with the Leader meeting at the Maracanã. It involves invit-
ing a famous soccer star for an informal discussion with 13
workers with different responsibilities at the site, as well as
Paulo Falcão and Carlos Zaeyen. “It has been a good way of
encouraging dialogue between the leaders and other team
members and for developing unity and team spirit. Former
players Zico and Roberto Dinamite have also taken part in
the Breakfast with the Leader meeting,” says Falcão.
Flamengo fan and Rio de Janeiro native Carla de Jesus
Arthur, 27, was one of the most enthusiastic Odebrecht
members there. She was thrilled at the presence of these
great stars from the past at the Maracanã construction
site. A former soccer player, Carla has been working as a
welder for the past year. “I have soccer in my blood. I was
a defender at Madureira, São Cristóvão and Botafogo and I
played next to Marta on the 2000 Brazil team.”
Production Assistant elisângela Soares supports Vasco
da Gama, the archrivals of Carla’s team. She is clearly emo-
tional when talking about her job. “I never thought that one
day I would take part in this beautiful project. It is a ques-
tion of destiny.” Carpenter Joaquim de Oliveira, a Vasco and
Corinthians fan, is working on the base for the cover. He
guarantees: “If it depends on the new Maracanã, the World
Cup will be an enormous success.”
Raquel Souza da Silva, 19, from Rio de Janeiro, shows
off her headgear, which has a Fluminense crest attached
46 informa
to it. “I love soccer and Fluminense. My Dad, Francisco,
works here as a foreman. And I help him count the work-
ers’ hours.” And what about Botafogo? Yes, the club which
unveiled Garrincha at Maracanã is also represented at the
construction site: the passionate Botafogo fans include
leaders Paulo Falcão and Carlos Zaeyen.
Where the ball will roll firstWhen it is completed in December 2013, the Corinthians
Arena will have set several records, thanks, above all, to the
unison between the client, the contractor and the federal,
state and municipal governments. This is lucky for the Cor-
inthians club, who are now seeing a 100-year old dream
come true. The main record set: construction speed. The
inauguration of the stadium, which will seat up to 48,000
people and will also be the center stage for the opening of
the 2014 World Cup with 68,000 seats (thanks to the installa-
tion of removable stands for 20,000 people), will take place a
little more than two and a half years after the first Odebrecht
workers broke ground in the Itaquera district. The city of São
Paulo, the host for this great event, is very lucky indeed.
On May 30, 2012, the work team stopped for a few mo-
ments to celebrate the first anniversary of the beginning of
construction in the Itaquera district in the east Zone of São
Paulo. Soon afterward, and with the same enthusiasm,
each member went back to work to erect the stands that
are already gaining shape. They are working at a speed that
will guarantee fulfillment of the deadline for Odebrecht,
the only company working on this project. Forty percent of
the project had been completed by June.
The 198,000-sq.m area where the stadium is being
constructed is located next to metro and train stations. The
project was designed by the architects Aníbal Coutinho and
Antonio Paulo Cordeiro of Coutinho, Diegues, Corteiro/
DDG. The Corinthians club’s current president, Mário Gob-
bi, and vice president, Luiz Paulo Rosenberg, are informed
about the project’s status on a daily basis.
Sitting in his office at the construction site, Project Direc-
tor Antonio Roberto Gavioli observes that the close relation-
ship between the partners has contributed to the acceler-
ated pace of the arena’s construction. “The setting in this
office helps, because I’m working side by side with Corin-
thians and FIFA representatives.” The Operations Manager,
Frederico Barbosa, is in the office next door. “I am always
talking to the workers in the construction areas, at breakfast
meetings and also at the Daily Safety Dialogues, which are
held at the start of each of the three shifts” he says, add-
ing: “I can see how proud everyone is of this high-visibility
project. everyone wants to know how the Corinthians Arena
is progressing. The answer is simple: it is going really well.”
Architect Jorge Borja represents Corinthians. “The se-
cret here is everyone’s involvement, as we are all on the
same team, seeking solutions.” Frederico Barbosa has
been at the site since the first shovel dug into the ground
at Itaquera a little over a year ago. There are photos of the
scale model of the stadium and a poster in his office: “Here
we sit at the same table, eat the same food and wear the
same jersey: team Odebrecht Infraestrutura.” Accus-
tomed to building tunnels, railroads and subways, he had
a surprise when he arrived at the stadium site to get the
project started. “I had to give interviews to dozens of TV and
radio stations, newspapers and magazines.”
Barcelama, Ruimadri...Fred, as he is known, is proud of saying that “the ball
has already started rolling” at the World Cup Arena. The
Mini Brazilian Championship began on May 21, involving 40
society soccer teams. each team has six workers from the
jobsite and the final will be held on December 3. Among the
teams are Barcelama, Ruimadrid, Os Ronaldos, Marteleiros
and Os Ferraduras. The gray synthetic pitch – avoiding the
green of Palmeiras, Corinthians’ archrival – which is next to
the recreation sector called Warrior’s Corner, is the location
Coming into being: the Corinthians Arena, the
backdrop of the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, is
rapidly taking shape
47informa
for the late-afternoon matches which receive a commen-
tary from the internal radio station.
There is a real radio station at the site, called Stadium
Radio. It is run by an engineer, the Sustainability Manager,
Antonio Pigat Zuchowski, and two commentators – safety
technician Almir Fontenele and environmental engi-
neer Arnaldo Cambraia. Almir, who is from the state of
Piauí and worked in radio in his home town of Piracuru,
explains: “The radio station operates 24 hours a day and
can be heard in the site’s common social areas, such as
the cafeteria, with music and information, as well as com-
mentary on our championship matches.”
The Itaquera project currently involves 1,820 workers
from 22 states. Almir’s Piauí is represented by 218 work-
ers, second only to São Paulo, which has 373 from that
state. Of the 250 who completed the Acreditar (Believe)
Ongoing Professional education Program, 81 have been
hired and are still working at the site. Most are Corin-
thians supporters but there are also São Paulo, Palmei-
rense and Santos fans...
Francisco das Chagas Lopes, from the state of Paraí-
ba, is better known as Supervisor Pará. He has worked
for Odebrecht for 38 years and organized the first work-
ers mobilized in Itaquera. He smiles as he points out the
stands which have already been erected. “It was a lot of
work but it has been really good to be a part of all of this,”
he says. Another supervisor, Valentim Valeretto, from Bi-
rigui, São Paulo State, agrees: “If there was any doubt, all
of this confirms the fact that the stadium will be ready.”
The words painted on a nearby wall reflect this state of
mind: “The 2014 World Cup starts here.”
Carlos Hermanny Filho, Odebrecht Infraestrutura’s
executive Director for the 2014 World Cup, observes:
“The Cup is a unique event, and building a project in this
context requires the harmonious participation of a large
number of key actors, such as the government, FIFA, in-
vestors, banks, the Local Organizing Committee (COL),
suppliers, NGOs, trade unions, supervisory bodies, and
the public in general. This has required patience, flexibil-
ity and determination from the Odebrecht teams involved
in the event.”
According to Hermanny, in this context, delivering the
Corinthians Arena for the opening of the World Cup and
Maracanã Stadium for its closing game, while making the
construction of the Pernambuco and Bahia arenas fea-
sible through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), has in-
volved tremendous challenges. They became even bigger
following the decision (taken in 2011) to include three of
these arenas on the list of host sites for the FIFA Confed-
erations Cup in June 2013.
48 informa
FOR SPORTS. THE ARTS. AND CULTURE. AND MORE...
homes The Fonte Nova
and Pernambuco arenas will go beyond soccer to host major national
and international events for business, edification
and pleasure
48
written by João Paulo carvalho photos by arthur ikishiMa (Fonte nova) and lia luBaMBo (PernaMBuco arena)
A multipurpose venue: the Fonte Nova Arena will also host concerts, exhibitions and conferences
49informa
he President Dutra Bridge be-
tween Juazeiro and Petrolina
is not the only link between the
northeastern Brazilian states of
Pernambuco and Bahia. Their
passion for soccer and prospects of hosting one of
world’s most spectacular sporting events are new
ties that bind these two Brazilian states.
On October 30, 2007, FIFA President Sepp Blat-
ter announced that Brazil would host the 2014
World Cup. The country already knew it would be
chosen, because the other competitors had with-
drawn their bids, but after the official announce-
ment was made, the explosion of joy in the streets
could have been for a goal in a championship final.
In fact, championship finals are a familiar situ-
ation for fans of the great teams of Salvador and
Recife, respectively the state capitals of Bahia and
Pernambuco. The numbers prove it. While the Ba-
hia Sports Club has the most fans in the North-
east, according to an Ibope poll commissioned in
January by Lance! magazine, the matches of Re-
cife’s Santa Cruz club have the highest average at-
tendance in Brazil, even when the team was only
playing in the Third Division. Last February, in a
match for the Pernambuco championship against
Sport Recife – which has the largest fan base in
the state – no less than 45,109 supporters turned
out to cheer for Santa Cruz and see their team be-
come this year’s state champion.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup is coming to crown
Brazil’s passion for soccer. The sports arenas
under construction are a dream come true for
millions of fans from Bahia and Pernambuco. In
addition to their pride in hosting an event of that
magnitude, these stadiums are a chance to boost
the development of their state capitals through the
urban renewal and new business opportunities
that will come in the wake of the multi-purpose
facilities that are under construction. Their legacy.
Bahia supporter Alisson Jones says: “The feel-
ing is profound joy because we’re going back to our
‘melting pot,’ which is Fonte Nova Stadium. Now Ba-
hia will be able to play at home again, surrounded by
all the history the club has lived in this arena. I’ve got
nothing against Pituaçu Stadium, but there’s nothing
better than watching Bahia at the Fonte (‘Source’).”
The club has already signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Fonte Nova Negócios e Par-
ticipações (FNP) – a Special Purpose Company
(SPC) formed by Odebrecht Participações e In-
vestimentos (Holdings and Investments) and OAS,
which was contracted by the State of Bahia to build
and operate Fonte Nova Arena for 35 years – con-
firming their intention to hold their games at the
new stadium. FNP has also been in contact with
the Vitória Sports Club, which has not decided
whether it will also be using the facility.
Unprecedented operation Salvador began to live and breathe the event
when it saw the old stadium being demolished to
make way for the new arena. The implosion, which
took place on August 29, 2010, required 700 kilos
of explosives, and some 1,300 professionals were
in charge of the details of an unprecedented op-
eration for that city. All told, 2,467 people, includ-
ing residents and local merchants, were evacu-
ated from 962 buildings between 7 am and noon
that day to contribute to the project’s success. And
it was so successful that the Fonte Nova Arena’s
PR and marketing team garnered the 2011 Aberje
Prize for the North and Northeast in the Press Re-
lations category.
Some of the 77,000 tonnes of concrete from the
original Fonte Nova stadium have been turned into
sculptures at the hands of Bahian artist Bel Borba.
Creatively using twisted iron mixed with cement, he
transformed them into works of art that were exhib-
ited from January to March this year at the Rodin
Bahia museum in Salvador. Other bits of concrete
were sold as souvenirs at the Fonte Nova Arena Visi-
tors’ Center to support the Sister Dulce Social Works
(OSID) charity. However, most of the debris resulting
from the implosion has been recycled and reused in
the construction of the new arena and other infra-
structure works underway in Salvador.
In Pernambuco, the new arena will be the re-
sult of a project that started from scratch. The
land was already owned by the State Government,
which held a tender for the project according to
FIFA’s specifications. The Recife metropolitan re-
gion rejoiced in late May when FIFA confirmed that
it would be hosting the Confederations Cup, which
FOR SPORTS. THE ARTS. AND CULTURE. AND MORE...
T
50 informa
will be held in June 2013 at six of the 12 host
cities for the World Cup.
Work on the arenas is going on at an ener-
getic pace. Fonte Nova in Salvador has already
exceeded the 62% mark, while Recife’s arena
is already 43% complete and stepping up hir-
ing. Both projects are at the peak of construc-
tion. Fonte Nova Arena has 3,300 workers,
while the Pernambuco Arena had 4,000 by the
end of June. The first shift begins promptly at
7 am and the last ends after 4 am the next day.
According to Alexandre Chiavegatto, Project
Director for the Fonte Nova Arena joint-venture
contractor: “Our goal is to finish the project by
December this year, six months before the
Confederations Cup, enough time to carry out
all the tests required before the games begin.”
On May 30, FIFA announced the schedule for
the matches and confirmed that the Brazil side
will play at least one game in Salvador. Recife
may host Spain’s national team, the current
world champions.
Clockwise from top, the Pernambuco Arena under construction; Bahia fan Alisson Jones at the
Fonte Nova Arena; shift supervisor José Rosano and assistant electrician Thiago da Cunha José
at the Pernambuco Arena: future venues of major sporting and entertainment events
50 informa
51informa
Soccer and showsIn Bahia, the new arena will also provide a
venue for major shows and concerts, some-
thing Salvador had been lacking. Many major
events have bypassed the city for lack of a fa-
cility with suitable infrastructure. Therefore,
Fonte Nova Arena will feature 50,000 covered
seats, 70 boxes seating 1,250 people, 2,100 VIP
seats and 94 toilets, including 23 for people
with special needs. It will also offer a conven-
tion center, restaurants with panoramic views
of green spaces and Dique do Tororó lagoon
– one of Salvador’s most scenic spots – a cul-
tural space, 39 food stands, a press area, 2,000
parking spots, bicycle racks and plenty of room
for the public to circulate.
According to Dênio Sidreira, President of
Fonte Nova Arena, Salvador is about to get a
multipurpose facility that will put it in a promi-
nent position on the national scene. “As of
2013, the city will be able to host major cultural
events, such as concerts, exhibitions, seminars
and conferences, and provide a new option for
smaller gatherings, like graduation ceremonies
and weddings, as well as housing a museum of
sports and culture. It is a paradigm shift in how
to organize and host events in a vibrant city like
Salvador,” he observes.
To ensure the venture’s successful opera-
tions, Fonte Nova has hired a consulting firm,
Amsterdam ArenA, the company responsible
for operating the facility of the same name in
the Dutch capital, where the Ajax team holds
its matches. The Amsterdam ArenA hosts an
average of three events per week, with con-
stantly changing backdrops. In less than 24
hours, a soccer match can give way to a major
concert, play, dance performance or corporate
event. The Dutch stadium hosts The Sensation,
one of the biggest electronic music events in
Europe and, among other artists, has featured
concerts by Madonna, Michael Jackson, U2
and Lenny Kravitz. According to Henk Marker-
ink, President of the Amsterdam ArenA, Fonte
52 informainforma
Nova will become a major landmark for Salvador.
Like Amsterdam’s arena, the new facility will be
a fresh destination for business, leisure and en-
tertainment. “This partnership will give the Fonte
Nova Arena world-class standards of operations,
enriched with the local ‘flavor,’” he says.
The Fonte Nova Arena occupies a total area of
116,000 square meters, of which 90,000 sq.m are
dedicated to the multipurpose facility. Scheduled
for completion by early July, along with the metal
structure of the compression ring that forms the
roof, the fully covered stands occupy a 36,000-sq.m
area. Once it is ready, steel cables will hold the sta-
dium’s cover in place. The early stages of comple-
tion are also scheduled for July, and the seats and
the grass will be installed in October, covering a
108 m by 65 m area. Altogether, the project will re-
quire 45,000 cubic meters of concrete, 14,000 cu.m
of pre-cast parts and 31,000 cu.m of parts cast at
the jobsite.
To ensure excellent construction standards, the
Fonte Nova Arena has recently undergone two au-
dits that resulted in international quality certifica-
tion and the title of FIFA-Standard Multipurpose
Arena Construction approved by Inmetro under the
ISO 9001 standard. The first audit, which took place
between April 23 and 27, was conducted by Bureau
Veritas Certification (BVC) to evaluate issues such
as work environment, engineering, technologi-
cal control of incoming materials and products,
personnel training and qualification, and records
management, among other items. The second as-
sessment took place between May 21 and 25, per-
formed by Vanzolini to verify the implementation of
procedures and routines that perform all functions
with the highest degree of accuracy.
The illustration shows what the future Pernambuco Arena will look like as an integral part of Latin America’s first Smart City: a new vector of development for the state
53informa
Legacy for PernambucoPernambuco is making the most of the up-
coming World Cup. An area located 19 km from
the center of Recife was chosen to house the
state’s new arena. The state capital is growing at
an accelerated pace, and its population density
and heavy traffic have created challenges that
can be overcome with the help of a new vector of
development: Cidade da Copa (World Cup City).
This is the name of Latin America’s first Smart
City, where the arena is located. According to
Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure) Proj-
ect Director Bruno Dourado, who is responsible
for the venture, the state has seized this op-
portunity to further strengthen the Recife met-
ropolitan area’s development through projects
carried out in several segments. “Pernambuco
is striving to leave a legacy for future genera-
tions through the opportunity presented by the
World Cup. The public will enjoy improvements
in urban mobility, investments in hospitality,
entertainment and public safety, and go on to
have one of the best and most advanced soc-
cer stadiums in the country, which is the heart
of Cidade da Copa. This represents an im-
provement in quality of life, and we are proud
of our company’s participation in this process,”
he says.
Like its counterpart in Salvador, the Per-
nambuco Arena will do more than host soc-
cer games. With a total area of 156,000 square
meters, including 24,000 sq.m of stands, the
facility will offer 46,000 seats, 4,700 parking
spaces, 13 escalators, eight elevators and 102
boxes. The Pernambuco Arena Consortium,
an SPC formed by Odebrecht Participações e
Investimentos and Odebrecht Infraestrutura,
has hired the US firm AEG Facilities to run the
arena. A world leader in the entertainment in-
dustry, AEG is responsible for the design and
management of LA Live in downtown Los An-
geles, and owns the Los Angeles Lakers bas-
ketball club and the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer
team. It also runs more than 100 stadiums in
14 countries, including the O2 Arena in Lon-
don, hailed as the best indoor facility of its kind
in the world.
According to Marcos Lessa, President of the
Pernambuco Arena Consortium, this partner-
ship with AEG will attract big names in show
business, making Pernambuco a national
benchmark. “Even without this facility, we have
already hosted artists of the stature of Paul
McCartney, so once the Pernambuco Arena
opens, these moments of celebration should
become increasingly frequent.”
In addition to the entire structure, the Per-
nambuco Arena will feature a solar power
plant installed through a partnership between
Odebrecht Energia (Energy) and the Neoen-
ergia Group. The plant will have a 1-MW gen-
erating capacity, enough to power a town of
6,000. It will primarily supply energy for the
new arena and generate carbon credits for the
venture.
53informa
54 informa
THe CAuLDRONheating up
54
The end of the last game of the NBA’s 2012 season, when the Heat won the championship: Miami celebrates
55informa
written by thais reiss THe CAuLDRON
The home of the Miami Heat, the current NBA champions, the American Airlines Arena complex can be adapted to host many kinds of events
phot
o: a
nd
rew
d. B
ern
stei
n/n
Ba
e/g
ettY
iMa
ges
56 informa
he American Airlines Arena (AAA) rang
with the voices of over 20,000 fans. “Let’s
go Heat, let’s go Heat, let’s go Heat!”
The chanting grew with each pass, every
shot, every point the Miami Heat scored
against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the final match
for the 2012 season of the NBA, the world’s main bas-
ketball league, on the night of June 21. The fans went
wild, cheering the moves and precision of the players,
especially the “Big 3”: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James
and Chris Bosh, who, along with their teammates,
raised the cup as two-time champions.
Inaugurated on December 31, 1999, with singer Gloria
Estefan’s Millennium Concert, the AAA, home of the Mi-
ami Heat, which won its first NBA championship in 2006,
has also hosted boxing, wrestling, martial arts, tennis and
Olympic gymnastics championships, firmly establishing
itself as a major sports complex in southern Florida.
With a 640,000-sq.m built area and 112 m in height,
the arena seats up to 23,000 people and can be adapted
to accommodate various kinds of events. The complex
has hosted world-famous artists such as U2, Madonna,
the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga, and
Brazilian icons like singers Roberto Carlos and Ivete
Sangalo. It has also been the backdrop for Disney on
Ice, Blue Man Group, the Latin Grammy Awards and the
MTV Video Music Awards.
“To this day, I remember the installation of the last
set of beams. It was amazing to see the sheer magni-
tude of the steel structure holding up the roof of the
building, and the suspended apparatus used for the
maintenance of lighting, air conditioning, the speak-
ers,” says a visibly moved Pablo Rodriguez, who was
Responsible for Finishings on the project.
The construction of the AAA was marked by several
challenges, including hurricanes and tropical storms,
in addition to the special precautions required to pro-
tect the environment while draining the land where it
was built, which is very close to Biscayne Bay.
The biggest challenges, however, resulted from the
highly ambitious schedule. Built on the fast-track sys-
tem (engineering developed simultaneously with con-
struction), it was completed in just 22 months, despite
the need for design changes during construction and
the fact that the team only had 30% of the blueprints
when they broke ground, situations that were part of the
job when carrying out the project at an extremely fast
pace. “We were only able to overcome these challenges
because of our excellent relationship with the client,
designers and subcontractors. I remember the atmo-
sphere of cooperation, the constant exchange of ideas
and proactive attitude towards the needs of the project
in order to accomplish all our goals, as well as how we
handled and incorporated all the changes required,”
says Gustavo Lazaro, who was Responsible for the Air
Conditioning System.
Pablo Rodriguez points out that the complex was
delivered on schedule and the occupancy permit was
issued in record time. “The city officials were surprised,
because of the magnitude of the project,” he recalls.
Vivian Rojas-Keller, the officer Responsible for Ad-
ministration on the project, observes that it also pro-
duced enduring personal rewards and lasting friend-
ships. “We were a very close team, and I believe that
the ethos of service was behind our success through-
out the entire program. The satisfaction of completing
a project like that and delivering it to the community is
extraordinary – there’s nothing like it.”
T
phot
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American Airlines Arena and, opposite, Florida International University’s stadium: achievements for their communities
57informainforma 57
Steve Binford, who was responsible for the arena’s
structure and is now on the Odebrecht team in New Or-
leans, agrees: “It was a defining moment in my career
and the most rewarding project I’ve ever been involved
in. I’m crazy about sports and always dreamed of build-
ing a cutting-edge complex. I still look back on that
project with pride, 12 years later.”
The AAA is strategically located in the heart of Mi-
ami, and has contributed to the regeneration of the
region, giving life to adjacent properties. The famous
Bayside tourist area and Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts Center, also built by Odebrecht USA
and opened in 2006, are just a few blocks away from the
arena. Gustavo Lazaro notes that the AAA marked the
beginning of a new era in that region, not only creating
jobs in the construction industry but also in the service
sector due to the emergence of new residential and
commercial buildings and culinary attractions.
Always looking for ways to become more energy ef-
ficient and eco-friendly, the AAA has been certified as
an LEED building by the US Green Building Council.
The certification was based on the performance (and
improvement) of its operations. In the case of the AAA,
it means efficient water use and energy consumption,
and underground parking (reducing emissions of gases
that trap heat in the atmosphere), among other factors.
Vivian Rojas-Keller observes: “We are still experienc-
ing the enduring positive impact of the AAA. Anyone who
has visited the arena and enjoyed what it has to offer
knows that the AAA provides an intense experience and
helps bring our community together in a powerful way.”
On-campus stadiumThe American Airlines Arena is not the only sports
facility Odebrecht has built in Miami. Another stadium
has had (and is still having) a strong impact on the lo-
cal community. This became clear once again on Oc-
tober 1, 2011, when 22,682 fans fervently supported
their American football teams on the campus of Flor-
ida International University (FIU). The home team, the
Golden Panthers, was playing against Duke Universi-
ty’s Blue Devils with record attendance at the stadium.
Popularly known as “the cage” because it is the home
of the Golden Panthers, the facility was built between
2007 and 2008 by Odebrecht USA, on the same spot
where the company had demolished the old one.
“The new stadium had a huge impact on the com-
munity. Besides being one of the few universities in
Florida with its own stadium, by opening this stadium
FIU provided a fresh source of pride for the administra-
tion, faculty, students and athletes of that institution.
Sports can bring people together in a very special way,”
says Odebrecht’s Carlos Nuñez, who was promoted
from Project Engineer to General Superintendent dur-
ing that project.
According to FIU Athletic Director Pete Garcia: “Ode-
brecht has built a stadium capable of bringing the com-
munity together for various kinds of events.” He also
observes that partnering up with the company was the
best decision they made. “The project was completed
on schedule and within the proposed budget. Working
with Gilberto Neves [CEO of Odebrecht USA] and his
team was a great experience. In addition to the exper-
tise they provided, they all treated the stadium like it
was their own.”
Rudy Armenta, the Project Director for the stadium,
enthusiastically recalls the time when that project was
underway in Miami: “It was an unforgettable experi-
ence to help build an iconic project like that at my alma
mater!”
Ode
brec
ht a
rchi
ves
58 informa
written by zaccaria Junior
ive years ago, between
July 13 and 29, 2007,
Rio de Janeiro emerged
as the backdrop for one
of the most important
sporting events on the continent: the
15th Pan American Games. The bud-
get for the city’s candidacy, the sum
of BRL 1.48 billion, which covered the
organization’s investments and costs,
was based on the estimated partici-
pation of approximately 25,000 peo-
ple, including athletes, referees and
delegates, volunteers and registered
journalists, among others. Helping
Rio host the Pan American Games
was a challenge for Odebrecht and its
members. Odebrecht’s involvement
with this mega event started in 2003,
when the Organizing Committee for
the games requested the company’s
support and began making the prep-
arations which would allow the state
capital to host an event of that mag-
nitude.
João Borba, the officer Responsi-
ble for New Business at Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura (Infrastructure), enthusi-
astically remembers those events as
if it were yesterday. “The Pan Ameri-
can Games were very important for
Odebrecht. We not only saw them as
an opportunity to contribute to infra-
structure and stadium construction
projects but they allowed us to focus
on a different type of business, view-
ing sports and entertainment as new
business,” he observes.
Odebrecht’s challenge in taking
part in the Pan American Games
took the form of delivering a retrofit-
ted Maracanã stadium to the people
of Rio de Janeiro, along with a new
Mini Maracanã (gyms) equipped with
air conditioning and a 800-sq.m court
and João Havelange Olympic Sta-
dium, or “Engenhão,” which is one of
the most advanced facilities of its kind
in the world and suitable for competi-
tions at the highest level – a chapter
apart in Odebrecht’s role in the 2007
Pan American Games. The Olympic
Stadium is considered an engineer-
ing landmark, especially because of
the challenging construction of its
metal cover, which despite weigh-
ing more than 4,000 tonnes, seems
to float over the stands, protecting
TRIAL BY FIReThe run-up to the 2007 Pan American Games demonstrated Rio’s ability to host major events 58
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João Havelange Oympic Stadium being built for the 2007 Pan American Games: a challenging project for Rio and Odebrecht
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59informa 59informa
60 informa
people from the rain and dispers-
ing noise and heat. The upper part
is supported by four large arches,
which are more than 70m in height.
Installing the cover was not original-
ly Odebrecht’s responsibility, but the
company ended up taking on part
of that task and went into action to
carry out all of the finishings, instal-
lation, building automation, ticketing
systems, lighting, air conditioning
and roof tiles, among other items in-
cluded in the tender.
Another Odebrecht project in Rio
de Janeiro that was also carried out
to prepare the city for the Pan Ameri-
can Games was the new arrival and
departure terminal at the city’s cen-
trally located Santos Dumont Air-
port, which can handle up to eight
million passengers per year.
A new business emergesWhen João Borba mentions the
idea of a “new business” that went
beyond building infrastructure and
stadium projects, he is particularly
referring to Odebrecht’s leading role
in structuring the concession pro-
cess for the Jacarepaguá Race Track
Complex. This was a totally innova-
tive project, developed to make that
site one of the most advanced multi-
purpose sports complexes in the
world. It came about following the
Organizing Committee’s request for
support so that consideration was
given to projects which could be de-
veloped in the city.
“Beginning in 2003, due to our in-
volvement in the preparations for the
Pan American Games, I started trav-
eling abroad to see what was being
done around the world from the per-
spective of sports as business, look-
ing beyond construction, which had
not been done before,” Borba recalls.
“I started doing some research on
Maracanã and “Mini Maracanã” being refurbished for the Pan American Games and Santos Dumont Airport shortly after its expansion: a legacy for the city
61informa
how multi-purpose arenas operated,
what was done, how it was possible
to have an ice-hockey game in the
morning and a rock concert at night,
for example. That’s how the Rio Sport
Plaza was born,” he adds.
The Rio Sport Plaza was conceived
to consolidate a multi-purpose sports
complex and other facilities in the vi-
cinity in a single location, including
leisure and entertainment develop-
ments, hotels and shopping and busi-
ness centers. The area envisaged for
this project is located on Jacarepaguá
Lagoon in the Barra da Tijuca district,
where the Rio de Janeiro International
Race Track is currently located. “The
concept was that we would invest
our own resources to build a multi-
purpose arena, a multi-functional
velodrome and an aquatic park for
the Games and modernize the race
track, which would be approved for
Formula 1 races by the International
Motor Sport Federation. In return, the
Rio Sport Plaza Special Purpose En-
tity (SPE) would have the right to de-
velop a real estate complex that would
include a hotel, shopping mall, con-
vention center, leisure and entertain-
ment areas and commercial build-
ings, located in a total area of 900,000
square meters,” Borba explains. He
points out that all of this would be
developed and constructed with Ode-
brecht’s own resources, with the right
to commercially develop the area for a
50-year period. Project financing was
developed to make these investments
feasible, with the sale of naming rights
for the complex as the key product –
a solution that would be viewed as a
major innovation at the time.
Olympic ParkThe relationship between inno-
vation and project financing, lack of
political support, the tight timeframe
for completion and organizational
complexity kept this dream from
coming true, but a seed had been
planted.” Over time we were able to
develop the concept behind the Rio
Sport Plaza project, which led us to
invest in PPPs today, using a model
which is very similar to what we were
thinking of at the time. It could be
said that our recent participation in
constructing and operating Olympic
Park is the evolution of that concept,”
João Borba observes.
The Rio 2016 Olympic Park joint
venture, comprising Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura, Andrade Gutierrez and
Carvalho Hosken, was formed to par-
ticipate in a tender for a PPP Project
held by the City of Rio de Janeiro to
implement, operate and maintain
Olympic Park for the 2016 Games.
This BRL 1.5-billion venture will
be built on the same spot where
the Rio Sports Plaza was conceived
eight years ago. The complex will oc-
cupy an area greater than 1,000,000
square meters and will include four
gyms, two stadiums, 16 tennis courts
and an Olympic arena that will in-
clude an aquatic center and velo-
drome.
The project includes the con-
struction of Olympic facilities which
will become the legacy of the Games,
including three halls which will
house various competitions and an
athletics track. In addition, Olympic
Park’s complete infrastructure, a
social center, a commercial building
that will be used as a Media Center
for most of the 20,000 journalists
covering the Games and a 400-room
hotel will be built. The main sports
complex for the 2016 Olympics, the
park will be the venue for 15 Olym-
pic events and 11 Paralympic events.
“Other investments involving this
type of partnership will certainly
come in time, consolidating Ode-
brecht’s participation in this busi-
ness,” says João Borba.
phot
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62 informa
written by eManuella soMBra photos by Fred chaluB
COMe INTO PLAYraw materi als From natural leather to modern sports equipment made from thermoplastic resin, a story of technological developments in sports
62
Rolls of synthetic leather made by Sintex: the company supplies materials used to make sports equipment for some of the world’s leading brands
63INFORMA 63INFORMA
COME INTO PLAYraw materi als
n the early 20th century, they were made of thick
leather, had no cleats and looked more like ac-
tual boots. But in the 1950s, their makers found
that cowhide, which is much lighter and more
fl exible, gave athletes more speed and greater
control of the ball.
As soccer matured, the boots were modernized: in
the late 1950s, Pele wore kangaroo leather models with
cleats that could be switched to suit different kinds of
grass. Diego Armando Maradona tried a version weigh-
ing 270 grams, with polyurethane soles and cleats, and
Ronaldo started the fashion of sideways cleats and
bright colors. Today, superstar Lionel Messi dances
around the opposing team in ultra-light models weigh-
ing just 150 grams, made of leather and synthetic fi ber.
“The developments in sports footwear have been
huge. Today’s sectorized production allows manufactur-
ers to ensure better quality control,” says Reginaldo Mil-
bradt, President of the Sintex Group, one of Brazil’s fi ve
largest producers of synthetic leather. Every day, he fol-
lows all stages of production of the materials used at the
company’s factory in Boracéia, a town located in one of
São Paulo State’s strategic footwear manufacturing hubs.
Reginaldo gives a detailed explanation of how the
production line operates, without taking his eyes off a
huge strip of moldable paper on which a viscous black
liquid is being poured. There, the liquid is spread out,
heated and cooled until it turns into huge rolls of black
synthetic leather, which are then packaged and labeled.
In half an hour, the black liquid is replaced by another,
this time light green, and then another, which is silver,
at a pace that must meet the constant demand from the
company’s clients – some of the leading sporting goods
brands on the market.
Sintex supplies raw materials to makers of soccer
boots, tennis shoes, balls and goalkeeper gloves. They
represent 50% of the factory’s total output, which also
includes products for the footwear market. It all starts by
mixing ingredients together. “It’s like a recipe for a giant
cake: the plasticizer is the milk, the pigments are the
eggs and the PVC resin is the fl our,” Reginaldo explains
with a smile.
Every month, truckloads of this “fl our” (from 75 to 120
tonnes per shipment) arrive at Sintex from Braskem,
which is responsible for 70% of the PVC resin the fac-
tory uses. These fi gures are expected to increase thanks
to the FIFA Confederations Cup (2013) and World Cup
I
64 INFORMA64 INFORMA
(2014), which Sintex estimates will boost the plant’s production by at
least 20%. The strong US dollar should also help make domestic prod-
ucts more competitive in Brazil.
“Our production is directly linked to the end consumer. If people
buy more balls, we will have to produce more PVC resin,” observes
Braskem PVC Accounts Manager Alex Ricardo Duarte. He notes that
the mechanical properties of synthetic leather, which is lighter and
more resistant than the real thing, together with its low cost compared
with other materials, make PVC a product that is in great demand in
the sports industry.
Keenly aware of new trends and keeping ahead of the needs of
manufacturers of items like sports shoes and balls – who are increas-
ingly focused on the performance, design and durability of their prod-
ucts – Braskem, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the
Americas, is actively seeking solutions through research, technology
development and fi ne tuning with its clients.
Resins that the company produces, such as polyethylene, are be-
ing used as raw materials to make synthetic grass – a kind of turf
that is becoming more and more popular in stadiums because it
is easy to maintain and less susceptible to weather conditions. In-
puts such as butadiene are used to produce gym mats, and solvents
like toluene become adhesives for high-performance tennis shoes.
And unlike the old days, when athletes wore heavy cotton shirts and
shorts, cumene is an ingredient for producing nylon used in the
manufacture of uniforms.
Amsterdam ArenAOn other fronts, the company is producing the innovations the
sports industry demands. They are coming down the pipeline thanks
to tried and tested solutions: a technology Braskem developed six
years ago, the manufacture of “green” plastic made with sugarcane
ethanol, was the focus of a contract signed between the company and
the Amsterdam ArenA in the Netherlands. It involves supplying 2,000
seats made from sugarcane polyethylene for the home
of the Ajax Football Club, the soccer team that
introduced the world to the great
Johan Cruyff.
Dari
o de
Fre
itas
65INFORMA 65INFORMA
“This is about using a sustainable option, which is producing
ethylene from sugarcane ethanol,” says Fabio Carneiro, Braskem’s
Commercial Director for the Renewables Business. In addition to
coming from a renewable source – ethanol derived from sugarcane
– this kind of ethylene can be processed with the same equipment
used to make conventional plastics.
Inspired by global concern about the preservation of natural re-
sources, this Braskem initiative was the subject of a feature pub-
lished on CNN’s website in February. According to Carneiro, the ex-
pectation is that all 54,000 stadium seats in the Dutch stadium will
be replaced, and this will become a viable alternative for other sports
facilities in Brazil, such as the stadiums that will host the next FIFA
World Cup.
The industry is putting its chips on the Cup. And Braskem is al-
ready playing an active role in the preparations for the most eagerly
anticipated sporting event on the planet. The fans who watch the
World Cup fi nal at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium on July 13, 2014, will be
protected by a metal shield composed of hydrocarbon resin licensed
and produced by Braskem at the Santo André Petrochemical Com-
plex in São Paulo State.
Unilene resin, which is exported to Europe and the United States, is
one of the components of two types of paint manufactured by the Dutch
company Akzo Nobel. Intergard 475HS and Interseal 670HS will coat
the cover and metal structures of the legendary stadium, which is being
refurbished by Consórcio Maracanã Rio 2014, a joint venture of Ode-
brecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure) and Andrade Gutier-
rez.
“One of Unilene’s key attributes is that it’s wa-
terproof, which provides greater protection from
corrosion for metal structures coated with that
product. This is essential for the manufacturer
because it makes their product more com-
petitive,” says Arariboia Martins, the Technical
Manager at Akzo Nobel (M&PC – Marine and
Protective Coatings Unit). According to
Martins, the multinational
company is negotiating the
use of these coatings in other
arenas that are being built or re-
vamped in Brazil.
“This type of resin has a wide
range of applications. It’s not only
used in paint but also on racing
tires, sports shoe adhesives,
soccer balls...” and the
list goes on, according
to Braskem’s Unilene
Domestic Market Ac-
counts Manager Leon-
ardo Fernandes.
Manufacturing synthetic leather: Braskem supplies the raw materials Sintex uses to make it
68 informa
the Monastery program has adopted. “These girls come
here as ‘ugly ducklings’ and leave as true ‘swans.’ Dance
provides discipline and poise,” says Ana Cristina, clearly
proud of the program’s achievements.
Judging by the elegance and grace of students like De-
ijane Gonçalves, 17, her teacher is not exaggerating. Af-
ter a public class applauded by the students’ families, the
teen observed that she identified with ballet right away,
when she took her first class through the Monastery pro-
gram eight years ago.
Deijane soon began nurturing the dream of every be-
ginning dancer: to pass the Bolshoi Ballet’s exam and
move to Joinville, Santa Catarina, the home of the Rus-
sian company’s Brazilian headquarters. Despite arduous
preparation, she failed the first two trials – and wept. But
her dream finally came true in 2008 when, after a Bolshoi
audition in Salvador, she was given an opportunity.
However, her stay in Santa Catarina only lasted a few
months because Deijane’s parents had to pay for her room
and board, and could not afford it. Mature for her age, she
understood the problem and returned to Salvador, but she
has not stopped training at the Monastery program, nor
has she given up on a career as a dancer.
A resident of Salvador’s low-income escada district,
Deijane believes that the ballet school “has saved many
people” from prostitution and drug trafficking, which are
rife in the region. Deijane’s classmate until the end of last
year, Grimaldo Oliveira Silva Filho, 17, agrees. “It’s an ac-
tivity that keeps us away from those things. I have some
friends who went into that life [of drug trafficking],” says
the young ballet dancer, who lives in the neighboring dis-
trict of Alto de Coutos.
Grimaldo began training through the Monastery pro-
gram at the age of 12. He improved so much that, earlier
this year, he was accepted into a local dance company, the
Balé Jovem Salvador (Young Salvador Ballet). “Through
ballet, I’ve started to understand what the arts are all
about,” says Grimaldo, who has not escaped the preju-
dice against men who dance. “I don’t care. When I step
on the boards, the rest of the world stays outside and my
imagination starts flowing. That’s when I feel sure that my
dreams will come true.” His dreams are big: he wants to
dance in Russia’s Kirov company.
Ballet with a ballThis successful experience with classical ballet led
SeSI and Braskem to extend the program in 2012 to
Deijane Gonçalves: the perseverance to pursue a career as a ballerina
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69informa
two other types of “dance” – indoor soccer and karate.
Some 40 youths have signed up for soccer and about
50 for karate, but the goal is to reach up to 120 partici-
pants in each category by next year. The classes began
in March.
Some boys, like young Salomão Brejeiro, 8, enjoy the
program so much that they play both sports. His mother,
homemaker Isabel Brejeiro, 43, says that in just three
months of training, her son “has already grown a lot.” And
not just as an athlete: Salomão is also taking his studies
more seriously. After all, according to the project’s rules,
only students who do well in school can play.
“I like karate, but I want to be a soccer player,” says
Salomão, who, despite rooting for the Bahia club, really
dreams of playing on “Messi’s team” – Barcelona.
His classmates Carlos Alberto Junior, 9, Douglas Silva,
10, and Gessivaldo Lima, 14, share the same dream. Skilled
players, they have distinguished themselves in training and
could be recommended to join the entry-level divisions of
Bahian soccer clubs, according to coach Augusto Andrade.
“But the key is doing well in school,” he observes.
School of lifeThe kids at the Pontal Beach Soccer School in Ma-
ceió, Alagoas, also have the names of Barça stars on the
tips of their tongues. And like their counterparts in Ba-
hia, they have to concentrate on their studies if they want
to keep training.
The soccer school is headed by former pro beach soc-
cer player Rodrigo Willer, 30. A resident of the Pontal
neighborhood, a low-income district on the outskirts of
Maceió, Willer started the little school two years ago “to
give children what I didn’t have during my childhood.” He
works for Lagoa Viva (Living Lagoon), an institution that
Braskem created and is now the company’s partner in de-
veloping environmental projects.
Currently, a total of 43 boys from the neighborhood
get together to practice on Saturdays, learning the ba-
sics of beach soccer on the sand court built by the
Neighborhood Association with Braskem’s support. The
young athletes are inspired by another local star, the
second-best scorer in the last Brazilian Beach Soccer
Championship, Tales Marcel, 25. “I didn’t have this kind
of opportunity to train as a kid. If you work hard you will
definitely become great players, much better than me,”
said Tales when he gave a special guest lecture to the
budding athletes.
Salomão and his mother, Isabel: watching her son grow and develop
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Before the ball gets rolling, the players sit down for a
lesson: a combination of recreation and learning to re-
spect their teachers and fellow students, tips on recycling
and water conservation. To get the kids more involved,
Willer makes bets with the students, who have fun com-
peting for soft drinks in penalty shootouts.
Making the lessons fun helps kids learn the basics of
the sport even better. In a training match against a young
team from Trapiche (another neighborhood on the out-
skirts of Maceió, which does not have a school), the stars
of Pontal – everton Souza, 12, elber Mateus, 12, and João
Vitor Caetano, 13 – put on a show, not just of individual
technique but collective tactical awareness. Final score:
10 x 3. Civic spirit won big.
Swimming in the chillFrom tropical Maceió we move south to São Paulo,
where the climate may be different but the desire to make
dreams come true is just the same. Not even the driz-
zling rain and cold weather of a Southern Hemisphere
autumn afternoon discouraged the youthful participants
in the ACeB-SP Social Project’s swimming group. At 4
pm, there they were, ready to plunge in and start train-
ing – the kind of training that has led some of them to win
championship medals.
This is the case with Nathália de Souza Giolo, 16. She
has been on the Braskem Cultural and Sports Association
(ACeB) swim team in Santo André, São Paulo, since she was
11, and has won titles in swimming pools and the ocean.
Last year, she was on the team that represented ACeB-SP
in Algarrobo, Chile, in the annual tournament held in what
the Guinness Book of Records considers of largest pool in
the world. It is over 1 km long, the equivalent of 20 official
Olympic swimming pools. Nathália won the championship
in the young women’s category in that tournament.
“It was a unique experience. I met athletes who have
won recognition in Brazil and other countries, so I could
see how they go about training and follow their exam-
ple,” she says. At that tournament, ACeB-SP was rep-
resented by a total of 16 swimmers and sponsored the
participation of five.
Nathália’s group also includes two sisters, Ana Caro-
lina and Mariana da Costa Pires, respectively 9 and 11
years old. In their case, swimming has opened the door
to scholarships at a local private school. Marco Antonio
Pires, the girls’ father, explains how this came about.
“They were studying at a [public] municipal high school,
but my wife and I wanted to transfer them to private
school. The school we were interested in offers athletic
scholarships to students who qualify for its team. The
girls barely knew how to swim, but they’ve developed
rapidly and, thanks to their training at ACeB, they man-
aged to get into the school, win the scholarship and join
the team.”
Link between company and communityThe ACeB-SP Social Project was created in 2006 with
the aim of encouraging social inclusion through sports
ACEB-SP swimming group participants: access to scholarships
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71informa
and educational activities. In addition to swimming, the
project offers other activities, such as football, basket-
ball, handball, volleyball, music lessons and recreation.
“ACeB’s facilities were underused during the day,
when most of its associates, who are Braskem mem-
bers, are at work. Because of that, we have the free
space and time to open our doors to the communities
near the Greater ABC Petrochemical Complex through
this social project, offering leisure options for every-
one who signs up,” says Debora Hernandes Machado,
Braskem’s Institutional analyst for the ABC and Cu-
batão regions.
ACeB is located virtually across the road from
Braskem’s Pe7 (polyethylene) and unib 3 (basic petro-
chemicals) production units in Santo André, near the
Mauá district. Both low-income neighborhoods have
grown up in the vicinity of the complex, so the social
project was created to reach out to those communities.
“ACeB is also a link between local neighborhoods and
the company, a meeting and communication point,”
Debora observes.
Over 500 people from the local communities, in-
cluding children, youths and people over 60, are mak-
ing good use of ACeB’s facilities, including classrooms,
playgrounds, swimming pools and tennis courts. The
highlight of these activities is sports, due to their health
benefits and the interest they attract.
“Sports are good for the development of children and
adolescents. They improve coordination, encourage dis-
cipline, attention, responsibility and social skills, and, of
course, they are beneficial for people’s health at any age,”
says physical education teacher Flávia Molla, the coordi-
nator of the ACeB swim team.
One of the requirements for participating in the social
project is being enrolled in primary or high school. The
other is maintaining ties with neighborhood associa-
tions, because people can only enroll in the ACeB project
through them, and the associations’ headquarters serve
as meeting points for the children and young people who
take Braskem-chartered buses to and from ACeB’s facili-
ties. “A monitor from the community association always
accompanies the group,” says Flávia.
In addition to the buses, the company also offers uni-
forms and snacks for participants. Vinícius Nascimento
de Souza, 11, a Santos club supporter, loves playing soc-
cer at ACeB. “At home I don’t have anybody to play with,
so I just play video games,” he says.
Vinícius de Souza: fascination with soccer
Nathália Giolo: “It was a unique experience”
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74 informa
n Africa, Angola is a basketball powerhouse, win-
ning 10 of the last 11 Afrobasket tournaments,
the men’s continental championship held every
two years as a qualifier for the Olympics and the
world championship in that sport. Soccer mobi-
lizes another swath of the country. Most Angolans of
all ages play some kind of sport.
Odebrecht Angola’s teams have rehabilitated, en-
larged and modernized the main street, sidewalks and
signage on Ilha do Cabo (Cape Island), in the nation’s
capital, Luanda, as well as installing sports facilities.
The number of visitors there is impressive. “Angolans
have a huge desire to enjoy well-tended venues and en-
sure their own wellbeing, so they are quickly taking pos-
session of all the spaces revitalized by the project and
helping keep them clean and beautiful,” says Eduardo
Badin, Project Director of the Luanda Roadways Project
and the leader of the works done on Ilha do Cabo.
“We already used to come here to play volleyball on
the beach before Odebrecht put up the nets. Now we
come here more often,” says Peterson Patrício, 33, an
architect who gets together with friends to play after
work Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturday morn-
ings. Peterson, who participated in the armed conflicts
in the countryside and studied in South Africa after
finishing high school in Benguela, notes with satisfac-
tion that more and more people are exercising on the
beaches and in Luanda’s parks and squares. “Our peo-
ple are seeking increasingly positive results,” he says.
Since he takes the sport seriously, Peterson only
takes his daughters to the beach on Sundays, when
he is not playing volleyball with his friends. Many
families take advantage of the improved leisure facili-
ties on weekends. In mid-May, IT entrepreneurs Wil-
son and Lara Cunha were enjoying a stroll there with
their eighteen-month son Ricardo. They don’t live near
the island, but every day at 5 am, Wilson can be found
warming up for his daily run and workout at the gym to
ensure that he is well prepared for the rest of the day.
“The landscape, the exercise equipment installed on
the beach, everything invites us to seek better health,
and have a more positive outlook on life,” he says.
I
Participants in the Active Life program and, opposite (top), Wilson and Lara Cunha with their son Ricardo: investing in health and wellbeing
75informa
Active LifeThe Angolans’ receptivity has led Odebrecht to go
one step further, in partnership with the Provincial
Government of Luanda. On weekends, along with the
exercise equipment, a disc jockey and aerobics teach-
er are available on the closest part of the island to the
city for people who want to work out with professional
guidance. First the candidates are screened by a nurs-
ing technician who records their general information,
blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. Then they
can join the group of people who are stretching, jump-
ing and playing on the boardwalk. “We’ve had over 200
people taking the classes offered at 7 am on Sundays,”
says Virgínia Machado da Silva, the Luanda Roadways
Project’s officer Responsible for Social Programs and
Community Relations.
This professionally guided exercise program is
called Active Life. It was introduced on January 29, and
1,800 people had enrolled by May, most of them tak-
ing aerobics classes or using the volleyball, basketball
and soccer courts available in the area. “I’ve always
worked out to keep in shape, but doing guided exer-
cises is more organized and efficient,” acknowledges
Manuel Fernandes, who does public relations for a
consulting firm. It takes an hour for him to walk from
his house to the island to participate in the weekend
morning classes.
The Luanda Roadways team has also taken an-
other initiative that is very popular with the commu-
nities in Angola’s capital. While revitalizing roads,
plazas and sidewalks, it has also installed exercise
equipment tailored to the space and the region. The
results have been remarkable. Every evening, wher-
Basketball fan Flávio José Mateus: Angola is Africa’s powerhouse in that sport
76 informa
ever you go along these revitalized areas of the cap-
ital, you see large numbers of people. None of the
equipment goes unused. Planted with shade trees,
paved and fenced in, the plazas offer playground
equipment for kids, and there is always at least half
a basketball court.
This is the case with Largo Cambambe, in the Cru-
zeiro district, next to the Bairro Operário (Worker’s Quar-
ter). Flávio José Mateus, 19, and Candido Antonio Gas-
par Madureira, 17, play basketball there, whether or not
there are more people on the court. “We always meet
up on here after school to practice,” says Flávio, whose
dream is to join the Angolan Air Force. Candido, who be-
gan playing basketball four years ago, has been invited
to join Angola’s under-17 team. “I want to represent my
country, be recognized abroad and play among the best,
in the US basketball league,” he says confidently. “My
coach says that anything is possible, so I’m working hard
to make my dreams come true,” he adds.
At-risk youthFlávio and Candido are cousins. Along with five oth-
er young people, they live with Dona Emília, Candido’s
mother, in Bairro Operário. Life is hard, but things have
been worse. Currently they all go to school and partici-
pate in at least one extracurricular activity. The youngest
boy, Ivanilson, 7, is also Dona Emília’s son. He is prac-
ticing capoeira in another facility made possible by the
contribution of the Structuring Roadways Project, car-
ried out by Odebrecht Angola: sports courts built and
handed over to the Don Bosco brotherhood, which runs
educational projects in Angola.
The partnership between Odebrecht and the Sale-
sian Congregation of Don Bosco marked its tenth an-
Project directors and other Odebrecht Angola members at Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela: an experience that will forever remain in their memories and hearts
76 informa
77informa
niversary in Angola in 2011. That year, the Structur-
ing Roadways Project team built eight sports courts
where activities such as soccer, basketball, volleyball,
capoeira and gymnastics are available day and night
for at-risk children and youth. “We support the initia-
tive because we believe that sports are a means for
integrating young people into society. They give them
an opportunity, a way forward,” says Project Director
Tiago Britto.
Larissa Cristina Ribeiro, a Brazilian gymnastics
teacher who volunteers at the Salesian missions, ar-
rived in Angola two years ago. She teaches gymnastics
to children and adolescents, and the students love her.
“Everyone likes to learn, to feel wanted, to make prog-
ress. In these activities, where the movements must
be very precise, you have to develop attention and dis-
cipline. The changes that physical activity brings about
in children and young people do them and all of us a
lot of good,” says Larissa.
Exercise within the companyFor Odebrecht members, all this is familiar, re-
warding and also challenging. Taking care of their
bodies is a responsibility for workers who want to
be in good shape every day and prepared to do their
best. All of Odebrecht’s facilities are equipped with a
sports court or weight room that encourages people
to exercise.
But company members had an unprecedented ex-
perience in Benguela on the south coast of Angola
in early May. The monthly coordination meeting was
scheduled to be held in that city, attended by all project
directors and members of the team reporting directly
to the CEO of Odebrecht Angola, Ernesto Baiardi, who
was also present at the meeting. To close the event in
style, the company’s team in Benguela staged a sur-
prise: a soccer match at Ombaka National Stadium
– the setting of some of the African Cup of Nations
(ACN) matches held in 2010 – with uniforms hanging
in the locker room. The teams walked onto the pitch to
the sound of Waka Waka, the official song of the 2010
FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the game was refer-
eed by a team of officials from the Benguela Soccer
League, and the players were interviewed at the end
of the match.
Felix Augusto Martins scored the first goal. The In-
frastructure Director for Southern Angola, where he is
responsible for a new iron mining project, he is mad
about soccer. He says that playing in a professional
stadium was a dream come true. “It was wonderful
to realize that our connection with the Angolan people
goes beyond aspects of our cultures and language to
include our love and respect for sports,” he recalls.
According to Marcus Felipe de Aragão Fernandes,
the Project Director for Benguela and Kwanza Sul,
“The best thing about this event was that people were
socializing and bonding in the relaxed atmosphere
of sports.” José Carlos “Zeca” Pinheiro, the officer
Responsible for Administration and Finance, had ar-
ranged every detail of the match with the help of
Odebrecht’s team members in Benguela. He arrived
in Angola in January 2011 and already feels right at
home. “I used to run a soccer league in Mundo Novo,
Bahia,” he explains.
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78 informa
78
THe GOOD
fight
79informa
In Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, teens get help to overcome the social-risk situations they facewritten by Júlio césar soarEs photos by marcElo Pizzato
Kemille de Jesus (left) and Agata de Oliveira: more poise and balance
80 informa
aicon Fernandes da Silva, 17, is a stu-
dent at Botafogo Municipal High School
in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. He studies in
the morning and does judo and karate
as extracurricular activities at school in
the afternoon. A resident of the Malvinas district, one of
the poorest in the city, Maicon sees sports as a chance to
escape from a daily routine of violence and seek a future
of peace and growth. “I used to be a brawler who never
backed out of a fight,” he says. “Thanks to martial arts,
I’ve learned to control my temper, to be more patient, to
have the same discipline I use on the tatami.”
Agata Almeida de Oliveira and Kemille Peçanha de
Jesus study at the same school and tell similar stories.
They describe the difficulties of daily life in the slums and
how their lives are changing in a way that, until recently,
many would have thought unlikely. “We’re off the streets
and safe in school,” says Agata. “Doing martial arts has
brought me calm and balance.” Kemille agrees: “I’m a
better person today, more attentive in class and respect-
ful to the teachers and staff.”
Maicon, Agata and Kemille are participating in the
Open Spaces Program, an Odebrecht Oil & Gas (OOG)
initiative supported by UNESCO (the United Nations
agency that works with education) and the Macaé De-
partment of Education. Located in northern Rio de Ja-
neiro State, Macaé is known for its booming oil industry.
National and international companies have established
themselves there, helping make it the eighth-richest
city in Brazil in 2006. However, while maintaining good
economic indicators since then, the city still faces major
social challenges.
Created in 2007 within the strategy of helping chil-
dren and adolescents overcome obstacles and improve
their living conditions, the Open Spaces Program is part
of Schools in Action, which organizes initiatives focused
on education, sports, recreation, job skills for youth,
income creation, digital inclusion and environmental
education, while encouraging community involvement
and volunteerism.
The principal of Botafogo High School, Luiziana
Simões de Almeida, underscores and praises the way
Open Spaces is changing students’ behavior. She has run
the school for 15 years and recalls difficult times in the
course of her job: “Our school has changed a lot. We don’t
have any broken doors nowadays, and the staff gets more
respect. Now the students feel that this space is their
MMaicon Fernandes: working towards a future of peace and growth
phot
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81informa
heritage.” She adds: “This partnership between the pub-
lic and private sectors is essential for helping us change
these children’s lives.”
Grooming good citizensThe Open Spaces Program aims to include sports in
school activities as an alternative for communities with little
or no space available for recreation, and a way to help over-
come day-to-day violence. Since its inception five years ago,
it has benefited over 19,000 students from seven education-
al institutions and one cultural association. Based on the
Five Pillars of Learning developed by UNESCO – “learning
to know, learning to do, learning to live together, learning
to be, and learning to transform oneself and society” – the
program seeks to groom not only athletes but most of all
good citizens who are aware of their role in society.
“When I don’t produce great athletes, I turn out great
teachers, people who will pass on what they’ve learned
and help their communities,” argues Paulo Cesar Maillet,
the jiu-jitsu teacher at the Art and Light Center. A program
volunteer, Paulo trained with the renowned Gracie family
and has 17 years’ experience as a jiu-jitsu fighter.
“This is not just sports for sports’ sake,” says Do-
miciano de Souza, a member of the OOG Sustain-
ability Program. The main channel of communication
between the company and the schools, Domiciano, or
“Domi,” as he is known in Macaé’s communities, be-
lieves in the project’s potential to shape young lives.
“We’re working to groom good citizens who understand
their communities’ needs and fight to change the way
things are right now.”
OOG’s support for the program includes supplying
sports equipment and helping pay the students’ travel
expenses when they compete in championships, as well
as getting directly involved in the planning, monitoring
and evaluation of activities and liaising with the commu-
nity and families. The main idea may be grooming good
citizens, but without a doubt, some students are proving
that they have the “DNA” of great future athletes. This is
the case with Renan Souza Pereira, 16, a student at the
Engenho da Praia School. Slim, and nearly 1.80m tall
(roughly 5’11”), he demonstrates his athletics skills and
plans to share what he has learned. “I want to teach kids
who don’t have a chance to play sports. That used to be
me,” he says. He also dreams of playing for his country
in the future. “My favorite sport is indoor soccer, and I’m
working hard so that one day I can represent the Brazilian
team,” he says.
Leonardo Campos (left) and Ezequias Rocha: making daily life safe and productive
82 informa
82 The opening of a sewage treatment plant in the region that will host several Rio Olympics events in 2016 marks the beginning of the Foz Águas 5 utility’s operations
PASSES THE TESTwater
written by alinE Brandão and daElcio dE frEitas photos by mario grisolli
83informa
Community leader Carlos Renato Sampaio:
a project that will boost the community’s
self esteem
84 informa
magine a movie where different life stories
come together at a given time. The setting, Rio
de Janeiro, specifically the West Zone, is far
removed from the famous landmarks of one
of the world’s most beautiful cities, and faces
a number of social and environmental challenges.
The characters are the region’s almost 2 million
inhabitants and the athletes who will be participat-
ing in the 2016 Olympic Games. Celebrities from
the world’s sporting elite and ordinary people, ev-
eryday heroes who sweat and labor all year round,
will come together in a film that was made to have
a happy ending.
Under the 2016 Olympics Infrastructure Pro-
gram, the City of Rio officially opened the Constan-
tino Arruda Pessôa Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)
in the Deodoro district on June 5, World Environ-
ment Day. This occasion marked the beginning of
the operations of Foz Águas 5 – a utility formed by
Foz do Brasil, Odebrecht’s environmental engineer-
ing company, and Saneamento Ambiental Águas do
Brasil (SAAB). It will be responsible for infrastruc-
ture investments and the operations of the sewer
system for 30 years in what is known as AP-5 (Plan-
ning Area 5) of the state capital, which is divided into
five major urban planning areas. The region, which
covers 48% of the city’s territory, is comprised of 21
districts and will host several Olympic competitions,
including equestrian and shooting events and the
pentathlon.
Changing livesWhile this is a prime opportunity for athletes to
display their talent to the world, for the local com-
munity it is a chance to have access to sewage col-
lection and treatment. Basic sanitation can make a
radical change in people’s lives. This is the case with
community leader Carlos Renato “Cacá” Sampaio,
39, who was born in the Deodoro neighborhood and
has lived there all his life. Married with four chil-
dren, he holds a degree in Physical Education and
Social Work, but spent most of his youth trying to
make a living as a professional soccer player. At age
23, he hung up his boots prematurely and started a
school for children and young people in the region.
He realized that sports are an important means of
social mobility, and today he is focusing his efforts
on training young athletes at the Deodoro water
park, the district’s main recreational facility.
“A good athlete needs to be physically and emo-
tionally healthy to overcome their own limitations.
To achieve high performance, you need a strong,
healthy body but, above all, you need self-esteem,”
says Cacá, who has high hopes about the improve-
ments that will be made in the region because of
the Olympics. “The lack of basic sanitation causes
health problems, so people have a hard time devel-
oping a good self image as long as there are open
sewers around,” he argues. “We’ll be getting lots of
facilities near our community, including new access
roads and modern buildings, but we still lack the
basics: we need essential services like sewage col-
lection and treatment. Many residents still live near
ditches full of raw sewage, and this has a major im-
pact on public health,” he adds.
In yet another project that confirms that the way
to provide universal water and wastewater services
involves a joint effort from the public and private sec-
I
85informa
tors, during the concession period Foz Águas 5 will
invest more than BRL 2.6 billion so that in 10 years
it will be treating 100% of the sewage collected from
the homes of 1.5 million people. By the time the
Olympics begin, 95% of the sewage collected from
40% of the local population will be treated, thanks
to initial investments totaling BRL 600 million. “This
is a fantastic win for the West Zone. Measures like
these are effectively improving the environment and
changing people’s lives,” said Rio de Janeiro Mayor
Eduardo Paes at the opening ceremony for the sew-
age treatment plant.
Studies show that improved water and sewer
services provide a number of socioeconomic bene-
fits ranging from increased property values to lower
public health costs. A study by the Getulio Vargas
Foundation (FGV) conducted for the Trata Brasil In-
stitute shows that in 2009 almost 70,000 children,
from newborn babies up to age 5, were hospitalized
for diarrhea in Brazil, and nearly 220,000 workers
had to take time off work as a result.
“We have a big challenge ahead, but thanks to
planned investments and the expertise of Foz do
Brasil and SAAB, we are confident that local resi-
dents will soon be seeing the positive impact of
our work,” says Fernando Bessa, President of Foz
Águas 5. “Increasing access to basic sanitation
will enhance the economic and social gains the re-
gion will get from the 2016 Olympics,” says Bessa,
stressing that this project was made possible by the
initiative and support of the City of Rio and Nova Ce-
dae, the company responsible for water and sewer
services in Rio de Janeiro.
In addition to its benefits in terms of quality of life
and environmental protection, in the short term the
service will ensure more efficiency and speed when
providing sewage collection and treatment. Expec-
tations are that the organization and development of
this system will not only enable local youth to watch
the Olympics in a community with basic infrastruc-
ture but give them better conditions to represent
Brazil in future Olympic Games.
Fernando Bessa and the plant: maximizing the
region’s economic and social gains
86 informa
n initiative designed to encourage Group
members and their families to practice
sports, the Odebrecht Run and Walk pro-
gram was held for the first time in 2007
and now forms part of the Group’s regu-
lar calendar of events. It was created under the responsi-
bility of the Health Support Area at the São Paulo Office,
as part of the program to commemorate World Health
Day on April 7.
Held twice a year, always on a Saturday, at Villa Lo-
bos Park in São Paulo, Odebrecht Run and Walk – which
brings together members from several of the organiza-
tion’s businesses and their families – seeks to show
how specific activities can enhance general wellbeing:
exercise, healthy eating, child recreation, leisure, relax-
ation, music, getting together with friends and family
and contact with nature.
Overcoming a sedentary lifestyleThe program starts with guidance from physical educa-
tion specialists from Assessoria Esportiva MPR, a sports
consulting firm that is a partner of the event, who discuss
the importance of sports for good health. Then, a session of
warm-up and stretching exercises guarantees that everyone
is prepared for the upcoming workout. Groups are formed
for light and faster walks, jogs and runs according to each
person’s preference and fitness level. The end of the activi-
ties is marked by a presentation by a choir formed by Group
members, and a healthy breakfast.
Statistics collected by the Health Support Area show
that approximately 55% of members have a sedentary life-
style. “We need to make people aware that improving their
lifestyle is key to maintaining good health and preventing
illnesses,” observes Alice Sawamura, an Occupational
Health Nurse at the Group.
AOdebrecht Run and Walk brings members and their families
together to celebrate sports and enjoy a healthy lifestyle
AS GOOD AS IT gets
86
written by rEnata mEyEr
87informa
Run and Walk has reported a continued increase in the
number of participants since its debut. There were 200 peo-
ple taking part in 2007 and approximately 1,900 at the last
event, which was held on April 14, 2012. It also took place in
Brasília this year, as an Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias
(Real Estate Developments – OR) initiative, and in Salvador,
Bahia, under Braskem’s responsibility.
A regular at the Odebrecht Run and Walk event, Galbênia
Costa, who is part of the People and Organization team at
Odebrecht S.A., has taken part in almost every event. A firm
believer in sporting activity, she makes a point of taking her
husband Jomar along. He is also a member of the Group.
“This is a special opportunity to get together with co-work-
ers and meet their families. The event provides an unparal-
leled moment for relaxing and bonding, which is impossible
when you have a hectic daily schedule,” she says.
A team of coaches and fitness specialists provides assis-
tance to participants under the Health Support Area’s su-
pervision. A Group leader was invited to spread the message
of sustainability at the last two events. “We are very lucky to
work in an organization that takes sustainability seriously,”
says Marcelo Arantes, the officer Responsible for Entrepre-
neurship Support (RAE), People and the Organization, In-
formation Technology and Procurement at Braskem, at the
last Odebrecht Run and Walk event. On that occasion, all of
the participants received ETH Bioenergy bags made from
Braskem’s “green” plastic.
According to Galbênia Costa, the major challenges for the
Group’s companies are connecting the theme of health to
each business’s strategy as a factor for adding value. “Pro-
grams such as these should be encouraged and seen as an
investment, because they contribute to improving members’
quality of life and consequently boost productivity. Further-
more, they encourage the practice of healthy habits, create a
healthy culture and help make the world more sustainable,”
she argues.
Galbênia Costa and her husband, Jomar: healthy habits. Right, Braskem members warming up, and below, running in Villa Lobos Park: overcoming a sedentary lifestyle
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ARGUMENT
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89informa
SPORTS AND SOCIAL INCLuSIONMacaé, Rio de Janeiro, furnishes an example of how sports can help build good citizens
Marco Aurélio Fonseca is the officer Responsible for Sustainability at Odebrecht Oil & Gas (OOG)
ports not only benefit body and mind but they
are an important tool for teaching civic spirit,
and there are numerous reasons why chil-
dren and adolescents decide to engage in a partic-
ular sport. Whether they see it as an opportunity to
make new friends or the means to overcoming their
own limitations, anyone who practices a physical
activity recognizes its importance to the improve-
ment of motor and cognitive skills and sometimes
serves to motivate those around them.
The Open Spaces Project, part of the Schools
in Action Program, an initiative of Odebrecht Oil &
Gas (OOG) in partnership with UNESCO and the City
of Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, since 2007 has offered
sports activities such as athletics, judo, capoeira
and hockey for children and adolescents from pub-
lic schools in nearby low-income communities. On
weekends, these schools open their doors, and
volunteers from the communities help teach the
classes, which are attracting a growing number of
students.
Family members, teachers, school principals,
and especially the project’s young participants
recognize the benefits. They can see significant
improvements in their school performance, con-
centration and social skills. While they learn, the
students have the opportunity to get together, ex-
change experiences and enhance their physical and
mental fitness. In communities where there are no
leisure facilities available, opening the schools on
weekends is often the only opportunity for children
and adolescents in those areas to get together and
socialize.
The lower dropout rate is enhanced by increased
recognition and appreciation of the school’s im-
portance. This can be measured by the reduced
need for repairs and improved conservation of the
schools participating in the Open Spaces Project.
Furthermore, young people who are actively par-
ticipating in sports serve as a mirror to others who
become aware of their achievements and want to
participate as well. Children and adolescents, most
of whom had never left Macaé or even done any
sports before, are now winning medals and cham-
pionships. When they see these results and the
improved civic spirit and social skills of the people
participating in these activities, non-participants
want to join the groups too.
However, these youths and their families are
not the only ones who stand to benefit from sports.
The company also wins. In fact, everyone wins
through the promotion of sports. In addition to
reduced vandalism in schools, there is also a de-
crease in the number of youths involved in crime-
ridden environments, gang violence, drug traffick-
ing and drug abuse. OOG believes that by helping
improve people’s quality of life in the communities
where it operates, it is investing in the social inclu-
sion of young people (especially them), and helping
them grow and adapt to adult life.
S
90 informa
91informa
Reports about Odebrecht Group teams’ recent achievements in Brazil and worldwide
&PEOPLENEWS
phot
o: A
lmir
Bin
dil
Atti
92 Deploying a model for agricultural, environmentally
friendly and sustainable tourism in northeastern Brazil
Luiz de Mendonça, CeO of eTH Bioenergy, discusses
the company’s accelerated growth
Defense & Technology: Odebrecht’s contribution
to the protection of the nation’s assets
Folks: Rafaela Araújo, Sílvio Freitas and Bruno
Gonçalves discuss their daily lives and passions
95
98
100
92 informa
Trails to new worlds
Sustainable Development
written by gaBriEla vasconcEllos photos by almir Bindilatti
mid the beauty of the At-
lantic, the mingled scents
of orange and cinnamon
trees fill the air, making the trail’s
lush vegetation even more exuber-
ant. Ancient trees flank every step,
followed by the oil and piassava
palms characteristic of the South-
ern Bahia Lowlands in northeast-
ern Brazil. This is the setting of the
first stage of the Ecoethnic Tourism
Route, which the Institute for the
Sustainable Development of the
Southern Bahia Lowlands (IDES) is
structuring in that region.
The idea is that visitors will be
welcomed by farmers like Juvenal
Divino, a resident of the Rio das
Matas community in Taperoá, Ba-
hia. A small producer, for the last
four years he has guided groups
interested in learning about life in
this part of rural Brazil. “As I walk
through the farm, I talk about dif-
ferent crops and show them what
I know, in practice,” he says. For
Divino, tourism is an opportunity to
increase his family’s income. “I get
a daily fee and lots of tips,” he says
with a smile.
At the end of the trail, the farm-
er reveals a gift: the Almas River,
which flows unhurriedly past the
Bahia municipalities of Taperoá and
Nilo Peçanha. In its waters, tourists
have the chance to enjoy ziplining
and whitewater rafting. The first of
three days on that route, offered in
partnership with the Ativa Rafting
and Adventures agency, comes to
an end at the Rio das Matas lodge,
where you can fall sleep to the
sound of bird songs.
Shortly after dawn on the second
day, it’s time to start experiencing
the local culture of Nilo Peçanha
(284 km from Salvador, the state
capital). The first stop is the head-
quarters of the Pratigi Environ-
mental Protection Area Farmers’
Cooperative (Cooprap), which sells
handicrafts, brooms and bio-jewel-
ry made from piassava fiber by local
residents. Like the IDES, Cooprap is
an institution linked to the Program
for the Integrated Development and
Growth with Sustainability of the
Southern Bahia Lowlands Mosaic
of Environmental Protection Areas
(PDCIS), supported by the Ode-
brecht Foundation.
The route goes on. In the Jati-
mane quilombola community,
which was originally established by
escaped slaves, tourists have the
opportunity to see some more of
Ecoethnic Tourism Route: a new vector for development in the Southern Bahia Lowlands
A
93informa
the rural workers’ routine, like that
of Miltaides do Rosário, who was
born and raised there. The owner of
a restaurant on the Jatimane River,
Miltaides offers canoe rides and
visits to the nearby waterfalls. “By
organizing tourism, I know we’re
going to grow. I’ve had a visit from
consultants from SEBRAE (the Bra-
zilian Service to Support Micro and
Small Enterprises) to conduct a di-
agnosis and identify our needs,” he
says.
According to Márcia Mattos, the
Leader of the IDES Cooperative
Tourism Alliance, that is the insti-
tution’s role. “We are helping the
communities network and form
partnerships that will help enhance
the Ecoethnic Route. We look for
professional training courses and
marketing support. The idea is to
make adjustments that will attract
more visitors,” she observes.
The partnership with SEBRAE
began in 2011, when the Ecoethnic
Route was selected by the Talents
of Rural Brazil Project. This ini-
tiative is the result of a joint effort
between the Brazilian Ministries
of Agrarian Development, Tourism
and Environment, SEBRAE and the
German Cooperation Agency, which
is encouraging the inclusion of fam-
ily farm products and services in
tourism. Zenilda do Rosário, also
a resident of Jatimane, already has
the support of SEBRAE. A shellfish
gatherer, she not only participates
in training sessions but gets ad-
vice about running her restaurant,
Restaurante Quilombola Pedro
Sorriso, which she named after
her husband. As a result, she has
made changes in the structure and
organization of her establishment.
“I’ve learned something new dur-
Juvenal Divino: “I walk through the farm
and talk about the different crops”
Miltaides do Rosário: “I know
we’re going to grow”
94 informa
ing each session. This is turning
us into a role model for the com-
munity. Lots of people from all
over come here for lunch,” she
says. SEBRAE has invited Ze-
nilda to share her experience at
an event in the southern state of
Rio Grande do Sul. “There I’ll talk
about my cassava porridge, my
smoked fish and my seafood stew.
Those are my specialties.”
After savoring the dishes cooked
by Dona Nida, as she is known, our
second day on the route ends on
Pratigi Beach, in the municipal-
ity of Ituberá, Bahia. Roughly 15
km long, it is nearly deserted, with
just a few beach shacks as the only
signs of human habitation.
A new outlookContinuing to explore the lo-
cal culture, on the third and
last day tourists have a chance
to visit the headquarters of
the Zambiapunga folk group,
take drumming lessons with
the Olopunga group and prac-
tice capoeira with the Capo-
arte group. “We’ve brought to-
gether people from all over the
Southern Lowlands to present
our traditions here. This was
our dream, and now it’s com-
ing true,” says Walmório do
Rosário, President of the Nilo
Peçanha Zambiapunga group.
According to Liliana Leite, Ex-
ecutive Director of the IDES, the
Ecoethnic Tourism Route is the
first step towards consolidating a
unique program. “This region al-
ready offers sun and beach tour-
ism. We need to bring visitors
in touch with the local culture
and strengthen the community’s
leading role in that process while
raising awareness on the struc-
turing basis of sociobiodiversity,”
Liliana explains. “We are seeking
harmonious coexistence with na-
ture, combined with the preser-
vation of cultural identity within a
producible and sustainable pro-
cess, thereby establishing agro-
ecotourism and providing an ad-
ditional source income for family
units,” she concludes.
Zenilda do Rosário: “We’re becoming a role model”
95informa
Organization
The call of new frontiers
written by luciana lana photo by dario dE frEitas
owering almost 6,000 me-
ters above sea level, Mount
Kilimanjaro in northern Tan-
zania, near the border with Kenya, is
the highest point in Africa. A dormant
volcano, its peak is covered with snow
surrounded by savanna forest. This
was the fascinating and challenging
setting where engineer Luiz de Men-
donça first had the idea of becoming
the CEO of ETH Bioenergy.
“I was on vacation, climbing the
mountain with my kids, when I found
out about the opportunity that had
just opened up at ETH,” says Luiz.
He reflected on his career within
the Group and decided it was high
time to take on a new challenge. At
the time he was Vice President of
Braskem’s International and Green
Business Unit.
Then a 10-year veteran of Ode-
brecht, Luiz returned from Kiliman-
jaro to tackle a challenge that was
much like climbing that mountain:
ETH is a new company with tre-
mendous potential for expansion
that has seen significant growth in
recent years. Active in the produc-
tion and sale of ethanol, electricity
and sugar for the domestic and in-
ternational markets, the company
aims to become the Brazilian leader
in generating clean, renewable en-
Luiz de Mendonça has the mission of leading ETH on its growth trajectory
Luiz de Mendonça: “We intend to double the company’s installed capacity by 2020”
T
96 informa
ergy. It currently owns nine plants
– two acquisitions and seven green-
field projects (facilities built from
scratch) in the Brazilian states of
Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do
Sul and São Paulo, and has 15,000
members.
“ETH’s agro-industrial units are
an industry benchmark. We un-
load one roadtrain per minute. But
that’s not the most striking thing
about the business for someone
who comes from petrochemicals.
When I visited one of ETH’s agri-
cultural fronts for the first time, I
understood the complexity of the
operation: unloading one roadtrain
per minute requires huge effort
and flawless synergy involving plant-
ing, harvesting, scheduling tractors,
trucks, people, shifts, dealing with
varying weather conditions and a
series of logistical issues,” Luiz
observes, adding: “At the moment,
ETH is hitting a plateau. So far, the
company has hired, on average,
about 3,000 people per year, and it
ended 2011 with the major achieve-
ment of 100,000 additional hectares
planted. Now it’s time to enhance
all our processes.”
“Planting better” is the first step,
according to Luiz de Mendonça –
and this means planning, treating
the soil, replanting when needed
and leasing new land, among other
initiatives. One of the goals is to re-
duce the cost of planting from the
current BRL 5,600/hectare to BRL
4,300/hectare.
Crushing capacityFully mechanized, the company’s
nine units comprise five production
hubs and can crush up to 40 million
tonnes (metric tons) of sugarcane to
produce 3 billion liters of ethanol and
2,700 GWh of electricity. To achieve
this level of production, however,
the company must invest in the cane
fields and plant 100,000 additional
hectares per year by 2014. In 2011 it
crushed 13 million tonnes of sugar-
cane. This year the company expects
to crush 20 million tonnes, and the
forecast for 2013 is 29 million tonnes
of sugarcane.
“We intend to double ETH’s in-
stalled capacity by 2020, by which
time when we intend to be capable
of crushing more than 80 million
97informa
tonnes of sugarcane,” says Luiz.
Reaching that target will require
new greenfield projects, acquisi-
tions and partners, and Luiz is bas-
ing his business plan on a positive
assessment of the market: meeting
the domestic demand for ethanol
alone will require twice the com-
pany’s current production. There
are also a number of projects un-
der study with partner companies.
Braskem, for example, is discuss-
ing the implementation of a new
“green” polymer unit linked to an
ETH unit. Biotechnology companies
are working with ETH to evaluate
the production of so-called second-
generation ethanol (made from
sugarcane bagasse) as well as the
development of various chemicals
from the juice produced by crush-
ing cane (fatty oils for the cosmetics
industry and lubricants).
As if this were not enough, there
are also projects underway outside
Brazil. In Angola, ETH is helping build
a sugar mill on a 32,000-hectare area
capable of producing 2 million tonnes
of the product. In South America, the
company’s Business Development
team is studying opportunities in Co-
lombia, Peru and Mexico.
From the design of a cane field to
the amount of sunlight necessary for
the sugarcane to grow, Luiz de Men-
donça says he has a lot to learn about
this new market segment. “I’ve even
learned that solar flares can disrupt
the harvesters’ GPS systems,” he says
with a smile. But what he likes the
most about his new responsibilities,
he says, is the challenge of recruiting
people, empowering and engaging
them, and contributing to community
development. “ETH is exploring new
farming frontiers. When we arrive in
a town, in addition to creating about
3,000 direct work opportunities, we
transform people’s lives by investing
in education, health, infrastructure
and social inclusion,” says Luiz. He
adds: “The amazing thing is that we
also introduce a new way of think-
ing to these communities. Today our
members are entrepreneurs who are
all familiar with TEO [the Odebrecht
Entrepreneurial Technology]. We have
done an excellent job of acculturation
in such a short time, which makes us
very proud.”
ETH’s Eldorado Unit in Mato Grosso do Sul: offering direct work opportunities and investing in education, health, infrastructure and social inclusion
Ode
brec
ht A
rchi
ves
98 INFORMA
A sovereign issueCreated in 2011, ODT consolidates the Group’s initiatives in a key sector for national development
Defense & Technology
written by FABIANA CABRAL
razil is the fi fth-largest coun-
try in the world, occupying
47% of South America, and
has a privileged geography. Its bor-
ders cover 23,000 kilometers, more
than 15,700 km on land – shared with
10 neighboring countries – and 7,300
km of sea borders. Endowed with a
varied geology, topography, climate
and vegetation, Brazilian territory is
known for its extensive biodiversity,
water resources and vast energy po-
tential. The country is now preparing
to explore the “Blue Amazon,” an
area covering about 4,500 square ki-
lometers that contains the country’s
pre-salt oil reserves, among other
riches.
Recently, Brazil has taken anoth-
er important step towards consoli-
dating its role on the international
geopolitical stage, participating as
a leader in military interventions
in Haiti and the Command of the
United Nations Fleet on the Leba-
nese coast.
However, in the past 30 years,
Brazil has done little to invest in
protecting its own territory. It has
become necessary to update its
defense and security systems, en-
suring the nation’s sovereignty and
protecting its borders, wealth, popu-
lation and democracy. The creation
of an autonomous, technology-inde-
pendent national defense industry
has already begun. “A solid defense
industry generates new technolo-
gies and skilled job opportunities,”
said Roberto Simões, CEO of Ode-
brecht Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnolo-
gia (Defense & Technology, ODT).
National defenseTo ensure border control and pro-
tect the nation’s natural resources,
the Brazilian government in De-
cember 2008 launched the National
Defense Strategy (END), aimed at
modernizing the Armed Forces and
the strengthening of the aerospace,
cybersecurity and nuclear sectors.
One of the fi rst initiatives was the es-
tablishment of the Brazilian Navy’s
National Submarine Development
Program (Prosub).
Chosen by the French company
DCNS – a world leader in naval de-
fense – Odebrecht has joined the
Sepetiba Bay Consortium (CBS),
which manages the program, and
Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN),
the company responsible for build-
ing four conventional submarines
and a nuclear submarine through
technology transfer. Odebrecht In-
fraestrutura (Infrastructure) has
been tasked with building the ship-
Roberto Simões: developing technologies
Prosub is building four conventional submarines, like the one in this photo, and a nuclear sub, which are scheduled for delivery by 2017
phot
o: H
OLA
ND
A C
AVA
LCA
NTI
B
99INFORMA
yard and naval base in Itaguaí, Rio de
Janeiro, where the submarines will
be built and operated. Last year, the
company’s teams cut the fi rst plates
for sections of the subs now under
construction.
But Odebrecht’s participation in
this sector does not stop there. In
2010, the company formed a joint
venture with Cassidian, a subsid-
iary of the European group EADS, to
work on the consolidation of critical
defense and security systems. Last
year, the Group acquired control of
Mectron, a company with 20 years’
experience of service to the Armed
Forces that consolidates complex
systems for the defense, aerospace
and security sectors.
Mectron manufactures missile
systems and high-technology prod-
ucts for the aviation market, such as
radar, communications, and com-
mand and control systems for air-
craft. For the space industry, it man-
ufactures the electronics embedded
in launch vehicles and satellite sub-
systems, such as power, data stor-
age, telemetry and remote control
systems.
Protecting the nation’s assetsThese projects led the Group in
2011 to create Odebrecht Defesa e
Tecnologia, which brings together
all the organization’s initiatives in
the fi eld of defense and security.
“The Group felt that the sector is es-
sential for the nation’s growth and
development, because it ensures
the protection of assets such as
water, energy and biodiversity,” ob-
serves Roberto.
Since then, ODT has begun de-
signing major projects in a highly
complex environment, structuring
the fi nancial engineering of invest-
ments and absorbing, developing
and deploying advanced technolo-
gies. According to Roberto Simões,
the company is also contributing to
the modernization of Brazil’s Na-
tional Defense System as a vector
of development that will stimulate
the country’s industrial production.
“We have the capacity for strate-
gic and political relationships and
absorption of technology, as well
as the industrial expertise to work
with END and the Defense Ministry’s
programs, such as SISFRON on the
‘dry’ border and SisGAAz on the ‘wet’
border,” says Roberto Simões.
Mectron: developing and manufacturing equipment used aboard civilian and military aircraft
phot
o: g
uil
her
Me
aFo
nso
Foto
: ho
lan
da c
ava
lca
nti
Life of a teacher
ílvio Freitas joined Tenenge on November 13,
1958, as a welder. In 1967, seeing that the engi-
neers wore white helmets, he decided to wear a custom
black model – his trademark to this day. A member of
the Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial (Industrial Engi-
neering) team working on the PTA POY PET project in
Pernambuco, Sílvio will celebrate his 80th birthday in
October. He arrives at the jobsite at 6 am and works until
the sun goes down. Although he has only studied until
the fourth grade, he is now a teacher. “I learned every-
thing I know on the job and through work,” he explains.
Wearing his inseparable black helmet, Sílvio has worked for the Group for 52 years
Time for fulfillment
‘ve always wanted to learn, and Odebrecht has enabled me to do
more than that. I can pass on what I’ve learned to my co-workers
and my family, says Bruno Miguel Gonçalves, the Mechanical Ser-
vices supervisor for Odebrecht’s projects in Benguela Province, An-
gola. A 12-year Odebrecht member, he says the company has been
his most important school. “My leaders have taught me to take care
of my household economy.” In his spare time, Bruno enjoys his chil-
dren. He often goes to the beach with the older kids: Ronaldo, who
wants to work in electronics, and Rivaldo, who dreams of becoming
an Angolan soccer star.
Work and family
Rafaela is experiencing a very special time – in her work and personal life
FOLKS
Bruno shares what he learns with his co-workers and kids
phot
o: l
ia l
uB
aM
Bo
phot
o: e
lvio
lu
iz
ngineer Rafaela Elaine Araújo is the operations
manager for the Rota dos Coqueiros concession
company in Pernambuco, Brazil. This 33-year concession
involves the construction, operation and maintenance of
a 6.5-km stretch of road linking the state capital, Recife,
with the towns of Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Ipojuca
in the south of the state. According to Rafaela, Rota dos
Coqueiros, a route that includes the Paiva Bridge over the
Jaboatão River, has become “a landmark for Pernam-
buco.” Born in Campina Grande, Paraíba, she is expect-
ing her first child in September, and is making the most
of the area where she works. In her spare time in the
mornings and evenings, she is often seen walking on the
beach and enjoying the landscape. “We are in a place that
is blessed with natural beauty,” says Rafaela
100 informa
E
S
I
101informa
Next issue:Environment
Founded in 1944,
Odebrecht is a Brazilian
organization made up of
diversified businesses with
global operations and
world-class standards of
quality. Its 160,000 members
are present in the Americas,
the Caribbean, Africa, Asia
and Europe.
reSPONSIbLe FOr cOrPOrAte cOMMUNIcAtION At cONStrUtOrA NOrbertO Odebrecht S.A. Márcio Polidoro
reSPONSIbLe FOr PUbLIcAtIONS PrOGrAMS At cONStrUtOrA NOrbertO Odebrecht S.A. Karolina Gutiez
bUSINeSS AreA cOOrdINAtOrS Nelson Letaif Chemicals & Petrochemicals | Andressa Saurin Ethanol & Sugar | Bárbara Nitto Oil & Gas | Daelcio Freitas Environmental Engineering | Sergio Kertész Real Estate Developments | Coordinator at Odebrecht Foundation Vivian Barbosa
edItOrIAL cOOrdINAtION Versal Editores editor-in-chief José Enrique Barreiroexecutive editor Cláudio Lovato Filho english translation H. Sabrina GledhillArt and Graphic Production Rogério NunesIllustrations Karmo and Adilson SeccoPhoto editor Holanda Cavalcanti electronic Publishing Maria Celia Olivieri
Printing 900 copies | Pre-Press and Printing Pancrom
edItOrIAL OFFIceS Rio de Janeiro +55 21 2239-4023 | São Paulo +55 11 3641- 4743email: [email protected]
Originally published in Portuguese. Also available in Spanish.
102 informa
“The best executives in any profession always see
the people they groom and develop as the most splendid monument they can leave behind them”
TEO [Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology]
phot
o: F
ern
an
do v
iva
s
