São José dos Campos

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São José dos Campos
Municipality
The Municipality of
São José dos Campos
View of the city
View of the city
Flag of São José dos Campos
Flag
Official seal of São José dos Campos
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Capital of the Valley
and The Airplane Capital
Motto(s): 
"Aura terraque generosa"  (Latin)
"Generous are my airs and land"
Location in the state of São Paulo and Brazil
Location in the state of São Paulo and Brazil
CountryBrazil
RegionSoutheast
StateSão Paulo
Government
 • MayorCarlinhos Almeida (PT)
Area
 • Municipality1,099.77 km2 (424.62 sq mi)
 • Urban
298.99 km2 (115.44 sq mi)
Elevation
660 m (2,165 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Municipality636,876
 • Density572.77/km2 (1,483.5/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Postal Code
12200-000
Area code+55 12
WebsiteSão José dos Campos, São Paulo

São José dos Campos (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃w̃ ʒuˈzɛ dus ˈkɐ̃pus], meaning Saint Joseph of the Fields) is a municipality and a major city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and one of the most important industrial and research centers in Latin America. It is located in the Paraíba Valley, between the two most active production and consumption regions in the country, São Paulo (80 km (50 mi) from the city) and Rio de Janeiro (320 km (200 mi)). According to a 1999 UN study, São José dos Campos was rated one of the top 25 Brazilian cities for quality of life. With its high per capita income, long life expectancy and high level of infrastructure, São José dos Campos is a safe and secure city that offers a wide variety of stores and services. A native of São José dos Campos is called a joseense (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒozɛˈẽsi]).

Geographic information

Area

  • total area: 1,099.60 km2 (424.56 sq mi)
    • urban area: 298.99 km2 (115.44 sq mi) (27.19%)
    • metropolitan area (east): 45.04 km2 (17.39 sq mi) (4.09%)
    • metropolitan area (north): 81.18 km2 (31.34 sq mi) (7.38%)
    • rural: 673.39 km2 (260.00 sq mi) (61.23%)

Borders

Cityscape

The municipality is comprised by three districts: São José dos Campos — the city itself, (also the seat), Eugênio de Melo and São Francisco Xavier. The last one is known for its natural sites and ecotourism.

The district of São José dos Campos is also subdivided into 2 subdistricts (São José dos Campos and Santana do Paraíba).

However, for administrative purposes, the city is composed of 7 urban regions: Center, North, South, West, East, Southeast and São Francisco Xavier.

Climate

The climate is humid and subtropical, with the dry season in winter. The greatest precipitation occurs from November to March, contributing to 72% of the annual volume.

The annual average relative humidity is 76%. Tropical air masses predominate during 50% of the year and colder air masses predominate for the rest of the year

In the summer, the average maximum temperature is 29 °C (84 °F) and in the winter, the average minimum temperature is 10 °C (50 °F). The average annual temperature is 20 °C (68 °F).

Köppen climate classification: Cwa

Topography

Highlands predominate in the north region of the municipality, whose altitudes range from 660 to 975 m (2,165 to 3,199 ft). They are called Serra da Mantiqueira (Mantiqueira Range). There are also peaks and mountains that can reach up to 2,420.7 m (7,942 ft) (Pico dos Marins - Piquete - SP, Brazil) where the weather reaches −12 °C (10 °F).

In the urban area, there are rolling plateaus and hills.

In the south, the ridges of Serra do Mar form the boundary between the coastal plain and the inland plateau (planalto), which has an altitude of 400 to 500 m (1,300 to 1,600 ft).

  • Municipality: Elevations 550 to 2,082 m (1,804 to 6,831 ft)
  • City: Elevations 550 to 690 m (1,800 to 2,260 ft), average of 660 m (2,170 ft)

Hydrology

The municipality is located in the Hydrological Basin of the Paraíba do Sul River that crosses the city longitudinally and names the region as Paraíba Valley. The river has larger tributaries on the left bank than the right. However, on the right banks, the Jaguari River, Buquira River,and other tributaries are an important part of the city's drainage system. Some of these other creeks are the Comprido River, the Pararangaba River and the Lambari River.

For the water supply of the population and livestock, the Rio do Peixe, tributary of the Jaguari River, stands out. It drains the north portion of the municipality and its waters contribute significantly to the Jaguari Dam, which forms an important reservoir used by CESP for electricity generation.

Along with the mountainous topography, there are a great number of fluvial elements, such as waterfalls.

The quality of the water is excellent, and the artesian wells of the region possess average outflow of 30m³/hour.

History

The beginning

The origins of São José dos Campos lie at the end of the 16th Century when Jesuits founded a cattle farm, Aldeia do Rio Comprido. The farm was created through a concession of settlements around 1590 to the Society of Jesus. The farm was located on the banks of the Rio Comprido, natural division between São José and the city of Jacareí today.

Historical populations
Census
year		 Population
1940 36,279
1950 44,804
1960 77,533
1970 148,332
1980 287,513
1991 442,370
2000 539,313
2002 est. 559,710
2004 est. 589,050
2005 est. 600,089
2006 est. 610,965
2011 (IBGE) 636,876

The farm status was an artifice to hide a religious outpost, one of the several Jesuit Reductions in Brazil, known for their resistance to enslavement, from the Portuguese expedition leaders and indigenous people hunters, known as the Bandeirantes.

On September 10, 1611, the local was officially recognized and the farmers precluded from utilizing the Natives as slaves. However, a turmeric conflict between farmers and the religious led to the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1640 from the region and the consequent dispersion of the mission.

Nevertheless, the Jesuits returned and reestablished a new settlement, where the current city center is spotted. It was about 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of the previous mission, on a higher plain with a privileged view above a geological depression, which guaranteed security against invasions and floods. Again, despite being a new mission, it was officially treated as a cattle farm.

The initial urbanization plan is attributed to the Jesuit priest Manoel de Leão, whose main occupation was really to be an administrator of the community.

In 1692, documents named the village as Residência do Paraíba do Sul; in 1696 as Residência de São José.

At the beginning of the gold mining economic cycle in Brazil, the settlement goes through serious difficulties due to the exit of labor to the mines.

After the definitive expulsion of Jesuits from the Portuguese Empire in 1759, all the religious order's assets, such as farms, colleges and villages were taken under the Portuguese Crown's custody. The governor, D. Luis Antonio Botelho Mourão, had as a priority to turn these new assets into productive units and increase tax collection. For that, Boutelho Mourão successfully requested authorization from the Viceroy to create civil parishes, known as freguesias, and to change the fiscal status of villages to the category of Vila (town).

Then, on July 27, 1767, São José reached the official status of town, with a hall and a pillory, passing over the status of civil parish; and the name Vila de São José do Paraíba was formalized. But for many years it maintained the same rural characteristics. The main difficulty was the fact that the Estrada Real (Royal Road) passed by its limits, far from the village.

Cotton and coffee

In the middle of the 19th century, the village of São José do Paraíba had demonstrated some signs of economic growth through the development of agriculture. Cotton production evolved rapidly in the region, exported to the English textile industry. The production reached a peak in 1864.

In the same year, on April 22, the town became the seat of a municipality, acquiring finally, in 1871, the current name of São José dos Campos, followed by the creation of a judiciary district in 1872. Almost simultaneously, there was development of coffee crops in Paraíba Valley, which started to take off in 1870.

In 1886, after the opening of the Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil railway (1877), the coffee production peaked. Then started to decay, running steady until the 1930s.

Hydro-mineral retreat and industrialization

Former sanatoria (date of opening/beds):

Sanatório Vicentina Aranha (1924/130)
Sanatório Vila Samaritana (1928/70)
Sanatório Rui Dória (1934/68)
Sanatório Maria Imaculada (1935/na)
Sanatório Ezra (1936/120)
Sanatório Ademar de Barros (1936/na)
Sanatório Antoninho da Rocha Marmo (1952/na)
Sanatório São José (1957/110)

The call for the municipality of São José dos Campos for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis by sanatoriums became noticed at the beginning of last century, due to its supposedly favorable climate conditions. The city became to be known as the Sanatorium City. The country’s then largest hospital, the Vicentina Aranha Sanitarium, was opened in town in 1924, and in 1935 the municipality was officially recognized as a health retreat.

With the advent of antibiotics in the 1940s, tuberculosis begins to be treated anywhere, thus ending the healthcare advantage carried out by São José, whereas the establishment of industries was about just to start.

The industrialization process of the municipality takes hold from the installation of the Technological Institute of Aeronautics in 1950 and also with the opening of the Dutra Highway (BR-116), thus making possible a faster connection between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and cutting into the urban area of São José dos Campos. Altogether, these factors allowed the municipality to make strides towards fulfilling its scientific and technological potential.

Demographics

Demographic Statistics

Population (IBGE 2010): 629,921 inhabitants
Population density (2010) 572.77 inhab./km²
Urban population rate (2000): 97.97%
Growth population rate (1991/2000) 2.23%
Life Expectancy: 73.89 (2000)

The built up regions of São José dos Campos and the neighboring city of Jacareí have merged in the last two decades. The estimated population of both cities is 841,000 inhabitants.

The large population growth that occurred in the city was a result of continuous migration from other regions of the country. As a consequence, in 1991, people that were born in São José dos Campos represented only 47% of population (according to IBGE). According to a new research from Univap, this number increased to 49.83% in 2004.

In the city, the population (according to census 2000) was spread out with:

  • 24.2% under the age of 14
  • 20.1% from 15 to 24
  • 47.4% from 25 to 59
  • 8.2% who were 60 years of age or older.

The city's ethnic composition (according to census 2010) is 72.61% whites; 21.4% brown; 4.48% blacks; 1.44% Asian; 0.08% amerindian.

Government

São José dos Campos has a "strong mayoral" system in which the mayor is vested with extensive executive powers, as it is in all municipalities in Brazil. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by universal voting. The City Council is elected every four years with the mayor. The current mayor is Eduardo Cury, from the political party PSDB and was reelected in 2008.

Address of local government

  • Rua José de Alencar 123, Jd. Santa Luzia Cep 12209-530 São José dos Campos - SP - Brazil

The state administrative region of São José dos Campos

The State of São Paulo is divided politically and administratively into 15 regions. São José dos Campos is the seat and the name of the 3rd Administrative Region, which includes the North Coast of São Paulo state and the Paraíba Valley. The region comprises 39 municipalities with sharp contrasts. São José dos Campos is a densely populated city, with approximately 2,100 inhabitants/square kilometers in urban area, whereas the quiet municipality of São José do Barreiro has only 7 inhabitants/square kilometer. There are both highly industrialized cities and the others in the region are focused on agriculture and tourism. São José dos Campos is well known as the Capital do Vale which means that São José dos Campos is the most important city of the Paraíba Valley.

It is one of the state's most dynamic areas, the fourth one in terms of population density, and covers 11.3% of the state's territory. The main municipalities are São José dos Campos, Taubaté, Jacareí, Guaratingueta, Caraguatatuba, Campos do Jordão, São Sebastião, Lorena, Pindamonhangaba, Ubatuba and Caçapava.

  • Population of the region: 2,243,687 (est. 2006/IBGE)
  • Population Density: 288.56 inhabitants per square kilometer

Important mayors

Shopping areas

Tourists and locals find complete and diversified shopping areas in São José dos Campos. All the major hypermarkets, supermarket chains and discount and department stores are in city. The largest malls are:

  • CenterVale Shopping;
  • Shopping Colinas;
  • Vale Sul Shopping;
  • Shopping Center São José.

Besides those malls, the most important commercial centers include:

  • The Old Downtown area including:
    • Rua Sete de Setembro - Calçadão - a popular street shopping area.
    • Rua XV de Novembro - located in Praça Afonso Pena, the town square. This street was the main street in São José dos Campos in the 1950s and 1960s. On the weekends, handcraft exhibitions are held there and in other squares.
    • Other streets: Rua Rubião Júnior, Rua Vilaça, Rua Siqueira Campos and Rua Sebastião Hummel.
    • the Municipal Market (popular groceries, stores);

And newer areas such as:

  • Avenida Francisco José Longo and Avenida Nelson D´Ávila (hotels and maintenance services);
  • Avenida Nove de Julho (fashionable boutiques and restaurants)
  • Rua Luis Jacinto (nightclubs and restaurants);
  • Rua São João (with a small mall with exquisite boutiques called Shopping Esplanada, as well as restaurants and schools);
  • Avenida Adhemar de Barros, where there are schools and the Santos-Dumont Park.

The Vila Ema district has the most interesting sites for nightlife including bars and restaurants.

Business, tourism and interesting sites

File:Praçasjc.jpg
Sightseeing tours of São José dos Campos

The city is an important business center that attracts thousands of visitors. Several fairs and expositions are done at the 2 pavilions located in the city.

The occupancy rates of the hotels are high throughout the year. A diversity of hotels are offered including Accor Hotels (Ibis São José, Ibis Colinas, Mercury, Novotel and Space Valley Parthernon Flat), Caesar Business, Blue Tree Towers, Shelton Inn, Urupema, Carlton Plaza, Intervale Othon, Comfort Inn and Di Giulio. The following sites attract visitors:

Heritage and culture

In 1985, the municipality established the Cassiano Ricardo Cultural Foundation, named after the Brazilian poet. It aims to promote and sponsor cultural activities and events, spreading and extending knowledge among the population. Furthermore, the public foundation stimulates creation and emerging of new artists in different sectors. The foundation was also charged with the preservation and expansion of the Municipal Public Archives and to provide support to the Municipal Historic Preservation Council (COMPHAC). Several cultural centers are maintained by the foundation including Cine Santana, Centro Cultural Clemente Gomes, Espaço Cultural Chico Triste, Helena Calil Arts Center and Espaço Cultural Mário Covas

The São José dos Campos Symphony Orchestra, fomented by Cassiano Ricardo Cultural Foundation, is an already respected orchestra in the country. The city also houses important choirs (such as Libercanto, Vocalis, Vozes and ITA), with popular and eclectic performances.

São José is an important center for dance. It is the headquarters for several dance schools (Cristina Cará, Ana Araújo, Rosilene Sánchez, Damares Antelmo), that already have taken part in several international contests. Jazz, step dance, ballet, techno, aerobic, among other dance forms, are presented to the public in December every year at municipal competitions. The Cassiano Ricardo Foundation is also starting a dance company.

Popular parties are also important events. Perhaps the most distinguished is the so-called Festa Junina (Saint John's Festival). It is mainly celebrated on key days following the Catholic feast days of Saint Anthony, John the Baptist and Saint Peter. It happens at different churches, schools and parks in June.

The Sports Museum was opened on July 30, 1999. In exhibition are trophies, medals, photos and newspapers about the history of sports of São José dos Campos since 1910.

City Anniversary Run - a 12 kilometer run taking place on the streets of the city center in the morning, with hundreds of athletes from the city and from the Vale do Paraíba region on July 27.

Relevant people

Sister city

A Japanese garden is open for visits within the Santos-Dumont Park, celebrating the sister cities.

There is also cooperation with:

Entertainment, leisure and sports

Although São José is an industrial center, the city still preserves green areas and quiet town districts, which guarantees quality of life and leisure to the population. Around 62% of the area from the municipality is characterized as an environmental preservation area. On the oustskirts of the urban area, Augusto Ruschi Ecology Reserve has many local plant species. The natural reserve has 2,500,000 m2 (27,000,000 sq ft), being a government protect area for the local flora. São Francisco Xavier is a community the offers many of those attributes as well.

Furthermore, there is easy access to the mountain cities (Campos do Jordão, Santo Antônio do Pinhal) and to the beaches of the Northern Coast of São Paulo.

The city has three parks and several sport and country clubs. Important clubs are Clube Luso Brasileiro, Tenis Clube São José (important center for amateur sports such as volleyball and basketball), Associação Esportiva São José (including its country club Clube Santa Rita, which has a golf course) and Thermas do Vale.

Tenis Clube and Associação Esportiva São José have hosted the 35th Banana Bowl International Tennis Federation Juniors Circuit in 2005 and 2006.

A soccer stadium, called Estádio Martins Pereira, is the home ground of São José Esporte Clube, a professional soccer team.

Important teams from the city:

Club Sport Arena Foundation of the Club Logo
Associação Esportiva São José Basketball Ginásio Linneu de Moura 1913
Associação Esportiva São José Swimming Ginásio Linneu de Moura 1913
São José Esporte Clube Football Estádio Martins Pereira 1933
Tenis Clube São José Basketball Ginásio Municipal José Edvar Simões 1948
Tenis Clube São José Volleyball Ginásio Esportivo Manoel Bosco Ribeiro 1948
São José Rugby Clube Rugby union Estádio Martins Pereira 1987
Clube Atlético Joseense Football Estádio Martins Pereira / Estádio ADC Parahyba 1998
Scott-Marcondes Cesar-São José dos Campos Cycling n/a 1993 N/a
São José/Vale Sul Futsal Indoor Soccer/Futsal Tenis Clube São José na n/a
FC Primeira Camisa Football Estádio ADC Parahyba 2007

There are 19 movie theaters and 2 theaters including one inside the Univap - University of Vale do Paraíba.

Education and research centers

Library of ITA, designed by Oscar Niemeyer

São José dos Campos has a pivotal role as research center in Brazil. The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has its headquarters there. It coordinates intensive research and development in areas such as Earth observation, space sciences and space technologies. Also the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA) has its facilities in the city. There are 53 secondary schools, 54 primary schools and 109 preschools.

Universities and colleges

Research centers

Technical schools

Media

Radio

  • AM Radio
Frequency (kHz) Name Format
750 Piratininga AM country
1120 Bandeirantes n/a
  • FM Radio
Frequency (MHz) Name Format
90.1 RD 90 country, pop music
90.3 Rádio Planeta pop music, country, news
94.3 Jovem Pan pop music, news
97.5 Nativa FM country, news
99.7 Piratininga FM
(Rede Aleluia) 		gospel
102.9 Band Vale news, classic rock, mpb
103.9 Stereo Vale pop music, news
105.9 Logos FM gospel

Newspaper

Founded on January 2, 1952, ValeParaibano is the most important daily newspaper in São José dos Campos. The reported circulation data were around 20,000 on weekdays and 30,000 on Sundays in 2002.

Television Stations

Infrastructure

Transportation and Communication

Number of Vehicles
1996 138,540
1997 147,290
1998 161,154
1999 172,800
2000 185,560
2001 198,182
2002 207,367
2003 216,787
2004 225,386
2005 234,786
2011 335,679
São José dos Campos.

The city has 2 bus stations, having lines to cities in all regions of the country and international routes to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.

São José dos Campos boasts an extensive bus system. Operated by three companies (Expresso Maringa, Julio Simões and Viação Capital do Vale), these lines serve nearly all areas in the city with 319 buses. São José dos Campos also has an alternative system with minivans to supplement the regular buses.

The city uses a ring road system, that interconnects it to important national and state highways:

  • BR-116 (federal highway), which crosses the urban area of São José. It runs in a north-south direction in the country, near but not on Brazil's coastline. The section that connects Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo is known as Presidente Dutra. It is widely used inside the urban area of São José dos Campos for commuting purposes;
  • SP-099 (state highway) also known as Rodovia dos Tamoios which connects São José to the coastal lowlands of the city of Caraguatatuba;

The city is also served by a railway (the former Central do Brasil), administered by MRS Logística, which today only carries freight.

The ports of São Sebastião and Santos can be reached by the highways SP-099, SP-155, and BR-101.The transportation of cargo to the domestic and foreign markets is made through both ports.

The São José dos Campos Airport (IATA: SJK, ICAO: SBSJ) has a heavy passenger flow, mainly business trips during weekdays, and it is an important connection between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. With a 3,000 m (9,800 ft) runaway, the airport also serves people who come to visit the tourist city of Campos de Jordão. The airlines Azul Brazilian Airlines and TRIP Linhas Aéreas fly from São José dos Campos to several destinations and presently are the only commercial airlines operating on São José dos Campos. It is also used for the transportation of cargo from the several industries located in the so-called Cone Leste Paulista ("São Paulo's East Cone"). Infraero and the Federal Revenue Agency are also introducing a new concept called airport-industry, that will offer fiscal incentives and fast importation and exportation procedures. The municipality has also a Customs Station for the Hinterland (dry port), controlled by the Federal Revenue Agency.

São José dos Campos receives natural gas from two gas pipelines, and large companies such as General Motors, Kodak, Monsanto and Embraer are among the main users. The city is the 3rd largest in the country referring to the distribution net of natural gas for residential use.

It has also a large network of fiber optics, with broadband services covering 75% of the city. There is 1 telephone for each 3 inhabitants and a vast service network of cellular telephones.

Health and utilities

The city is also well known for the excellent quality of urban services: 96% of the residences have running water and 89% are connected to the sewage system. Around 45% of the sewage and 97% of the water from the city are treated. Sabesp has been doing new investments. The city counts on a selective domestic waste collection, for recycling.

In the health sector, São José dos Campos is the focal point of the Northern Coastline and Southern Minas Gerais regions. It has 18 hospitals, 15 emergency centers, 33 health attendance posts and 9 specialized clinics.

Economy

See also major companies in São José dos Campos area.

Overview

Economic statistics
GDP BRL 17.6 billion (2004)
Value added BRL 14,795 million (2005)
GDP per capita BRL 29,950 (2004)
Labour force 267,332 (2003) (from 45% to 50% of pop.)
Labour force by occupation industry (19.4%), commerce (17.3%), services (50.9%), construction (2.2%), public sector (9.6%), other (0.5%) (2003)
Main industries aerospace, defense, automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, components, consumer durables, oil and petrochemical
Foreign commerce
Exports BRL 4,947 million (2005)
Imports BRL 2,619 million (2005)
Public finances
Municipal Budget BRL 868 million (2005)
Announced investments $0.436 billion (2004)
Social statistics
Human Development Index (UNDP) 0.849 - high (2000) versus Brazilian HDI of 0.800 - high (2005)
Literacy rate 96.3% (2003)

Bisceted by the Federal Highway BR-116 Dutra, which links it to the main economical centers of the country, São José dos Campos is a city that continuously tries to develop its infrastructure and technology, improving the quality of life of its citizens and opening new opportunities for business. The presence of educational and research centers in the city was a major key for its fast economic development. It occupies the 9th position among the 100 best Brazilian cities for business, according to a study of the magazine Exame published in 2002. In another study, made by Cushman & Wakefield, an American company in the area of real estate business, São José dos Campos was appointed worldwide as one of the seven best cities with opportunities of investment in real estate.

High and positive economy indicators show that this municipality has a great share in the state and in the country's economy.

In 2004, the municipality had the eleventh Gross Domestic Product on national terms and the third GDP within the State. It was the second exporter only to the city of São Paulo (revenues of USD 4.7 billion) in 2004.

Its estimated per capita income value, in nominal terms, was US$ 10,715 (far higher than the national average or even São Paulo's).

Discussions about how to diversify the activities in the city have been held. Around 66.6% of the local economy still comes from the manufacturing sector. Many economists, such as Roberto Koga, consider the city still heavily dependent on few sectors, especially the aerospace and defense industry.

Despite these arguments, the city was appoínted as the 3rd best employer among Brazilian non-capital cities by magazine Você S/A, published in July 2005

Agriculture

The municipality cultivates different crops: rice, tomato, potatoes, orange and many vegetables; cattle are raised for beef and milk supply. There are also farms for production of eggs and chicken.

Industry

Embraer Aircraft: the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, the company is headquartered at São José dos Campos

In contrast to the rural town in 1950s, today São José is an important manufacturing center and holds a large array of industries. Over 1251 industries are in the municipality and nearby 47,000 inhabitants work for industries. The three main industries are automotive, oil/petrochemical and aerospace. There are significant pharmaceutical, consumer durables, chemical, and telecommunication companies in the city.

It is also known as the "Brazilian aeronautics capital" because it is home of CTA and one of the biggest aircraft manufacturers in the world, Embraer. It owes much of its economic success to Embraer's presence.

Service industry

Since the 1990s, the local economy has been evolving in a different direction. The manufacturing economy has been downsized or replaced by tertiary and quaternary sectors of industries.

For instance, the Entrepreneurial District of Chacaras Reunidas concentrates companies of micro, small and medium size, which are mainly the result of downsizing from old large local industries. Yet even though most of these are industries, these companies provide service as well.

Two technological parks and five (one in project) business incubators have been created within universities or industrial facilities.

There are incubators with technological start-up companies installed at Univap and at Henrique Lage Refinery of Petrobrás. The CTA houses other incubator, Incubaero, specialized in the aeronautical field.

Univap features a technological park with capacity for around 40 small to medium sized innovating companies in the areas of materials, electronics and telecommunications, information technology, aerospace, energy, environment control, biotechnology, bioinformatics, chemical engineering, and software among others. A new technological park, managed by the municipality and the state government of São Paulo, will house two new think tanks: the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) and the ItecBio (Instituto de Tecnologias Biomédicas).

As a result of its geographical location, the city became an important distribution center, having several logistics providers. Activities like purchasing, transport, planning and warehousing have employed many people recently.

Commerce and real estate ventures have developed in the last years, reflecting the changes in the economy. For instance, the largest shopping mall in the region was an old manufacturing facility. Serving the region's population of approximately one million, the city is the regional hub for shopping and services for the Vale do Paraíba, the northern coast of São Paulo and southern Minas Gerais.

The city has 34 hotels (1784 hotel rooms) and several auditoriums for meetings and conventions. There are 77 bank branches and 8 internet providers.

Advertising agencies have been established alongside television stations.

References

  1. ^ "A lista de cidades-irmãs". Estadão.com.br. October 13, 2007. Retrieved 18 de março de 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "S. José tem cidade-irmã no Japão desde 1973". Vale Paraibano. June 18, 2003. Retrieved 18 de março de 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

Sources

  • The City Hall of São José dos Campos.
  • Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica - IBGE
  • Fundação Seade
  • Jornal ValeParaibano
  • The State Government of São Paulo.

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