It was the in 1950s, and his attraction to mechanics led young Oskar Coester to the Pelotas Technical School . He graduated at 17 and continued growing, landing a place in the Varig School in Porto Alegre where he studied aeronautical mechanics and electronics. He became a specialist in aircraft electronic control processes, and was recognized as a distinguished employee by Varig´s president, Rubem Berta.

Brazil was entering the "Jet Age", and Oskar Coester was right in the middle of it a short 10 years after diving into a sea of technological information and decoding the secrets of navigation equipment. Being part of the team that created the "revolution in air transportation" has brought with it some important learning, both in the technical area and in understanding human behavior when faced with innovation.

The knowledge of an aircraft's operational system and a first entrepreneurial experience with technological innovation changed the path of Oskar Coester's life and led him to a new challenge: sea navigation.

The story of his company begins in 1963. He was manufacturing internal communication equipment for companies: his ICR intercom was being built in a small warehouse. The process led Coester to the construction sites of the Só Shipyard, right at the beginning what would become the best times for the Brazilian shipbuilding industry.

Here's an outstanding fact: the vessel's sea test day was fast approaching and the shipyard was without a signaling light (a type of flash light used for sending Morse Code). This was an essential device for the successful accomplishment of the test. Coester was called in to solve the problem, and within two days he had successfully created one.

From these beginnings, the company started to manufacture ship building equipment, like selsyn motors, a basic component in analog automation, as well as gyroscopic and radio direction finder navigation systems and controls for hydraulic, rudder steering systems.

You always need an alternative when facing failure. Redundancy is a concept that Oskar Coester brought from aviation and applied to the Brazilian shipbuilding industry. His company has pioneered this concept, which later became mandatory in global terms.

The continuous creation of new systems and improvements confirmed Coester's technical competence, leading to an invitation to participate in the second National Naval Construction Plan, during the 1970s. During this phase, Coester's company equipped more than 350 vessels, including many large Navy ships, and became a reference in oil tankers and the Merchant Marine fleet.

Coester's growth can be verified by comparing the company's physical dimensions: from a 25-square-meter warehouse with four employees in 1963, to an 8-thousand-square-meter space and more than 300 specialized employees in 1980.

All navigation system equipment was designed and manufactured in Brazil by Coester.

The diversification of Coester´s activities fortuitously solved the crisis initiated by the bankruptcy of the shipbuilding industry that occurred in the 1980s. Back in 1975, the company had begun producing electrical actuators, a result of its relationship with Petrobras. Facing a developing but new market, the product had little impact on the economic scope of Coester at that time.

Electric Actuators are used for the automated operation of valves in process industries, like oil and sanitation.

In the beginning, the company was part in the consortium for electro-mechanic actuator manufacturing with Micheletto from Rio Grande do Sul. Then in 1980, Coester launched its own line of actuators. This line was successful in the market until the '90s when it underwent modifications, and became the primary expertise of the company.

During this period, the Brazilian market was opened to the world, bringing new opportunities and challenges. Many Brazilian companies, especially Petrobras, began to invest more consistently in industrial automation - that was the opportunity.

Motivated by the concern about operational efficiency and environmental safety, intelligent equipment began to replace electro-mechanic actuators. This trend led Coester to concentrate efforts in the area of valve automation, using the experience acquired in the partnership with Petrobras. In a daring move, the company transferred all activities not related to automation to his employees.

The capacity for technological innovation was decisive in signing a Cooperation Agreement with Petrobras in 1997. The target of the program was to develop a new range of intelligent actuators to meet new competitive international standards, innovating a series of unknown concepts world-wide.

Using modern and eficient concepts, uncompromising certification and manufacturing standards, tests and system of quality assurance, Coester Automação developed a new technology. By relying on the high level of its human resources and strategic suppliers, it entered the market and quickly won another challenge to become the only Brazilian manufacturer specialized in this field. In 1998, the company became ISO 9001 certified for its São Leopoldo factory.

Today, Coester occupies a prominent market position, supplying integrated solutions with advanced data communication technology while maintaining the highest quality of client relationships. As its primary example, the company points to Petrobras, which has always encouraged technological development, a strong national industry and the increased qualification of Brazilian entrepreneurs.
.................................................................