Hot Issues: Improving the governance of innovation system and policy Brazil’s government has recently introduced significant changes in STI governance. In May 2016, the administration merged the science and telecommunication ministries to become the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC). In the same month, it launched a new National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (ENCTI) 2016-19, setting out the country’s key challenges for STI policy: i) closing the technological gap with developed economies; ii) strengthening institutional capabilities to increase productivity through innovation; iii) reducing social and regional inequalities in access to the country’s national innovation system; iv) developing innovative solutions for productive and social inclusion; and v) promoting sustainable development. ENCTI also assigned priorities to different economic and knowledge sectors, which the government believes will leverage national development, not only by proposing solutions to domestic issues, but also because they use the country’s technological potential, natural resources and industrial capacity. These sectors are: defence, water, food, biomes and bioeconomy, sciences and social technologies, climate change, ICTs, energy (including nuclear), health, and converging and enabling technologies. The country is continuing to develop its Technology System (SIBRATEC), aiming to support the technological development of Brazilian companies through the promotion of STI activities, including R&D investment and technology transfer. SibratecShop is an Open Laboratory Programme (OLP) that allows people of all skill levels to use industrial tools and equipment to build their own projects and turn their ideas into innovations. The OLP is an association of MCTIC, the National Service of Industrial Learning Institutes (SENAI) and the Brazilian Support Service for Small Enterprises (SEBRAE).