"A Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial: fundação, desenvolvimento e contribuições para a sociedade na formação de recursos humanos e tecnologia (1946-1985)"

Abstract

This case study embodies the foundation and development of Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial FEI, in São Bernardo do Campo, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, within the period from 1946 to 1985, and analyses selected technological researches conducted in this institution. This study starts investigating the life and work of the FEI founder, Father Roberto Sabóia de Medeiros, S. J., covering his background education, ideals and objectives and highlighting his social actions, in order to establish the institute s mission. Originally founded to be an Industrial Chemical Engineering school (1946), soon after FEI was invited to compose, along with other colleges, the Universidade Católica de São Paulo, created in that same year. The transference of the FEI campus to the city of São Bernardo do Campo, where it is currently located, occurred in the 1960 s, when the City Mayor, Lauro Gomes, intended to foment and attract the settlement of large industries in that city and, at the same time, guarantee the supply of qualified professionals. With that goal, he donated a large area of his property for the setup of the FEI campus. The city of São Bernardo do Campo became an important Brazilian automotive industry pole, and the technological research conducted at FEI was very productive in that area, probably stimulated by the local vocation. Many prototypes were manufactured, as the FEI-X1, an amphibious car, the FEI-X3, a vehicle that differed due to its conception and potency and the vehicles that moved on air mattresses, such as the Máquina de Efeito de Chão MEC (Floor Effect Machine) and the Trem Aerodinâmico Leve de Alta Velocidade TALAV (High-Speed Light Airdynamic Train), powered by airplane engines. Other important technologies for the society were also developed at FEI, such as project to obtain mandioca-derived alcohol, during the oil s world crisis, starting in 1973. That crisis ended up leading to Proalcool, the Brazilian alcohol fuel program, which was practically abandoned and very restricted later. This work analyses some reasons to explain why, after decades of projects and prototype production and the registration of technological innovation patents, none of them was seized in any subsequent industrial production