The need of the sugarcane agro-industry to increase its production, through increased productivity – agricultural and industrial – or the expansion area is considerable. This sector could meet both the domestic and export ethanol and sugar markets. Previous studies conducted by the members of this project (Public Policies for Ethanol) shows that Brazil would have enough land to meet the expanding needs of the area in two scenarios to produce 5% or 10% of world demand for gasoline in 2025 (UNICAMP, 2005). These are optimistic scenarios for sugarcane drives the need to rethink the paradigm of production the two main markets: sugar and ethanol. In this context the assessment of sugarcane energy was virtually tied up with increased sucrose content and its better use in the industrial process. The changes occurring in the international energy scenario, with almost constant rise in oil prices since the beginning of the decade, require the need to consider a new model for the technological development of sugarcane. These changes concern the behavior of international technological frontier in the field of biofuels and the potential production and technological development of Brazil as a whole. Developed countries are investing heavily in technologies for production of raw materials and CONTEXTUALIZATION AND ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPPING FOR ETHANOL