ABSTRACT: Companies develop strategies to describe where they want to go and how they will reach their destination. Business strategies are useful but may not be sufficiently detailed for areas of high importance, such as technology and innovation. In this paper we examined the effort of building a technology roadmap with an early growth stage company located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Roadmaps are easy to design yet flexible tools that can allow decision makers to explore a myriad of possible strategies. However, the challenges ahead for new companies facing uncertain growth scenarios demand that framework conditions be adequately addressed, and that innovation culture and technology management tools are integrated with the technology roadmapping strategy. Based on the empirical evidence collected from the startup studied, along with the literature and interviews with key stakeholders, this paper developed a pathway to support technology and innovation plans for startups going through similar growth stages and provides directions for future research in the area, given the scarcity of evidence available of new high-tech companies' efforts in planning and developing new products

Resumo A produção de bebidas destiladas de qualidade envolve um período de envelhecimento em barris de madeira, durante o qual diversas reações físico-químicas ocorrem entre a madeira e o destilado. O carvalho é a principal madeira empregada mundialmente no processo de envelhecimento de bebidas alcoólicas. Entretanto, no Brasil, o uso de espécies de madeiras tropicais pode ser uma opção viável por permitir inovação nas características de destilados. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o perfil aromático de compostos de aromas em aguardente de cana (cachaça) envelhecida por 12 meses em barris novos de 225 L, com e sem tosta, construídos com espécies de madeiras tropicais: cerejeira [Amburana cearensis (Fr. Allem.) A.C. Smith], castanheira (Bertholletia excelsa Humboldt & Bonpland) e cabreúva (Myrocarpus frondosus Allemão). A caracterização química foi realizada por meio de cromatografia gasosa/espectrometria de massas, no modo scan, visando identificar compostos de aromas (ésteres, álcoois, ácidos orgânicos, compostos fenólicos e terpenos). Tanto os barris tostados quanto os sem tosta aumentaram a concentração de compostos fenólicos nas cachaças. Os destilados envelhecidos em cerejeira apresentaram maior complexidade aromática, principalmente devido aos ácidos orgânicos e aos compostos fenólicos. Os barris de cabreúva forneceram maiores teores de terpenos aromáticos aos destilados. Esta pesquisa apresenta um novo enfoque no perfil aromático de compostos de aroma em cachaça envelhecida em barris de madeiras tropicais.

Abstract The production of high quality spirits implies an aging period in wooden barrels, resulting in numerous physicochemical reactions between the wood and the beverage. Oak is the main wood used in the aging process of alcoholic beverages worldwide. However, in Brazil, the use of tropical wood species can be a viable option, allowing for innovation in the characteristics of spirits. This study aimed to determine the aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in Brazilian sugarcane spirit (cachaça) after a 12-month aging period in new 225-L toasted and non-toasted barrels made from the tropical wood species cerejeira [Amburana cearensis (Fr. Allem.) A.C. Smith], castanheira (Bertholletia excelsa Humboldt & Bonpland), and cabreúva (Myrocarpus frondosus Allemão). The chemical characterization was carried out using the Gas-Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) scan mode, and the identification targeted on flavor active compounds (esters, alcohols, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes). Toasted and non-toasted cerejeira barrels intensified the contents of phenolic compounds in cachaça. The samples aged in cerejeira barrels exhibited the most complex profile, mainly related to organic acids and phenolic compounds. However, cabreúva barrels transferred significant aromatic terpenes to cachaça. This research presented a novel focus on the aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in cachaça aged in barrels made from tropical wood species.

Resumo O presente estudo teve por objetivo determinar a influência de métodos de destilação (simples, dupla e redestilação) na composição química de aguardentes de cana, mediante análises de componentes voláteis (aldeídos, ésteres, metanol, álcoois superiores, ácido acético e furfural) e contaminantes (álcoois n-butílico e sec-butílico, cobre e carbamato de etila). A aguardente monodestilada e os destilados alcoólicos das aguardentes bidestilada e redestiladas apresentaram composição química de compostos voláteis e de contaminantes dentro das especificações da legislação brasileira. A aguardente monodestilada apresentou maiores concentrações de ácido acético, aldeído acético, acetato de etila, álcool propílico, álcoois superiores, furfural e coeficiente de congêneres. A aguardente monodestilada também apresentou concentrações mais elevadas dos contaminantes metanol, sec-butanol, cobre e carbamato de etila. Em relação à monodestilação, as metodologias de bidestilação e de redestilação proporcionaram redução da concentração de congêneres voláteis das aguardentes (ácido acético, aldeído acético, acetato de etila, álcool propílico e furfural) e de compostos considerados contaminantes (metanol, sec-butanol, cobre e carbamato de etila).

Abstract This study aimed to determine the influence of distillation methods (single, double and redistillation) on the chemical composition of sugar cane spirits. Analysis of volatile compounds (aldehydes, esters, methanol, higher alcohols, acetic acid and furfural) and contaminants (n-butyl and sec-butyl alcohols, copper and ethyl carbamate) were carried out. All the distilled spirits presented chemical composition of volatiles and contaminants within Brazilian legal specifications. The single distilled sugar cane spirit presented higher concentrations of acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, higher alcohols, furfural, and coefficient of congeners. The single distilled sugar cane spirit also presented higher concentrations of contaminants (methanol, sec-butyl alcohol, copper and ethyl carbamate). The methodologies of double distillation and redistillation provided a reduction in the concentration of volatile congeners (acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, and furfural) and contaminants (methanol, sec-butyl alcohol, copper and ethyl carbamate) of the sugar cane spirits.

ABSTRACT: Cachaça poses many quality (appearance, taste, consumer acceptability) and safety hazards (chemical, metal, and microbiological contaminations during the process). In this work, an effort is made for the quality and safety analysis of cachaça, by describing and outlining the potential hazards in every step of the process. This study revealed that the critical control points (CCPs) involved in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to prevent cachaça safety hazards are the stages of sugarcane growing, sugarcane harvesting, fermentation, distillation, and aging process. The most significant factors for both CCPs and critical points (CPs) that should be controlled are determined. The implementation of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in small distilleries of cachaça has been very helpful to provide the required safety for domestic consumers and boost cachaça exportations. Therefore, the main objective of the cachaça industry is to achieve production consistency.