TECHNOLOGY MAPPING OF PROCESSES FOR SUCCINIC ACID PRODUCTION FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES: AN ANALYSIS IN BRAZILIAN CONTEXT
This paper presents a technology mapping of processes for succinic acid production from renewable sources. The bio-succinic acid was chosen to have wide application in the manufacturing industry, and its production is related to the enhancement of lignocellulosic residues, emphasizing a new direction for industrial development in a sustainable manner, based on the concept of biorefinery. The analysis of the patent documents BR identified, among other things, lack of applications for Brazilian residents, on the national scene, and a significant number of patent filings BR priority, mainly Japanese and American. Factors such as the lack of knowledge of Brazilian residents about intellectual property protection and the complex process of integrating university-company can justify this situation. Furthermore, the fact that Brazil provide high availability of natural resources, to be uncompetitive in the field of biotechnology and renowned products importer with high added value can also explain the American and Japanese interests in these sectors. Among the processes of production of succinic acid investigated, the procedures that make use of genetic engineering techniques were in the majority, showing that these processes can be more competitive facing the other strategies examined. Thus, this work represents a brief analysis on the prospect area of a building block for chemical synthesis - succinic acid - which is / will be essential to the Brazilian economy and of which Brazil is still dependent on foreign developments.