80 years of engineering that transforms

This year, the Novonor Group completed eight decades of constant work with the purpose of serving society through the transformative capacity of engineering, which is so essential for development by making infrastructure projects such as highways, hydroelectric dams, port terminals, schools or health centers a reality.

Since its inception, the Group has focused on innovation in order to evolve and conquer new challenges in a constantly evolving world. A great example of this spirit is the construction of the Belo Horizonte Building in Salvador in the 1940s, which lasted just nine months, when the deadline for a building of this type was three years. This was made possible by innovating the construction method of the time: when the first slab was ready, the walls of that floor began to be erected.

“OEC has always been considered very innovative since its inception, with the agile and decentralized management system itself standing out. This open environment for innovation has been increased since 2019 in a more structured way with the creation of a fostering area, focused on open innovation actions with the incorporation of startups and constructechs, continued participation in the InovaBra Habitat ecosystem and the consolidation of internal innovation programs,” says Marcelo Piller, a civil engineer with a degree from Unicamp and Director of Engineering and Innovation at the construction company.

Our Culture

This principle was one of the teachings left by the founder of the Novonor Group, Norberto Odebrecht, in the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO), which is now updated and alive in Our Culture.

“Our Culture, which has TEO as its original basis, is undoubtedly the main driving force behind the company’s survival and resilience. We base our actions on the Values expressed in our emblem. The internalization, practice and incorporation of these values into our day-to-day work leads to a great unity of action, allowing the creation of opportunities to incorporate talent, new technologies, coexistence between generations and creating the foundations for sustainable growth cycles,” said Piller.

For him, OEC is on the right path to growth. “We are ready to meet the needs of our clients in the most diverse environments, whether in Brazil or abroad, in an increasingly sophisticated and competitive market – which demands strong actions to incorporate technology and innovation, with a guarantee of increasing quality and safety,” he added.

Highlights

Piller highlighted two projects that he believes demonstrate OEC’s constant innovation. For the Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal project in Angola, 34 gas bullets were manufactured in China. These were transported by sea to Africa. “We were the only bidding company to consider the “factory” manufacture of these large structures and their transportation to Africa, guaranteeing quality and safe operations.”

For the Praia Grande submarine outfall, in São Paulo, there was a “readjustment of the methodology for executing the outfall section, bringing the deadline forward by a year for the client SABESP. This is an example of reusing knowledge in a very innovative way, putting our experience at the service of the client and society.”

As Dr. Norberto taught us, “development without sustainability is not development”. Major infrastructure projects must serve society as a whole. For a sustainable future, “care for the environment, attention to social issues, job creation with inclusion and diversity are growing requirements in the environments where we operate. In addition, we deal with intensive use of direct labor in our activities and our commitment to protecting the lives and safety of these people is a top priority,” Piller concluded.