The city of Rio presented today (17) the Pomar project – Porto Maravalley -, a hub (concentrator) of education and technology, located in Porto Maravilha, in the central region of the city. With about 10,000 m², the space will host the first undergraduate course at the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (Impa), in addition to bringing together startups (business models), investors and technology corporations.
Financed in partnership with the private sector, the project will transform the port region into the city’s newest technology hub, according to the city hall. The initiative foresees public investment of R$ 30 million in works. Delivery is scheduled for the first half of 2023, when an association of companies will be responsible for managing and maintaining the development.
The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, accompanied by the secretary of Economic Development, Innovation and Simplification, Chicão Bulhões, and the general director of Impa, Marcelo Viana, started work on the shed. According to Paes, Porto Maravalley is a fundamental step in the development of the city’s economic vocation.
“I have no doubt that it will be a milestone in the development of the city and that it will also consolidate, from an urban point of view, the role of the port region with many real estate launches and developments. You can be sure that, in five, ten years, we will pass by and observe that one of the greatest centers of knowledge in our country has emerged here, which is this hub of Porto Maravalley”, said the mayor.
What will Impa Tech look like?
Impa Tech will be the first graduation from the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics, currently focused on masters and doctorates. The bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics will connect basic education and the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad of Public Schools (Obmep) with post-graduation. According to the city hall, the initiative will consolidate Impa’s link with the productive sector, responding to a national strategic need.
The four-year excellence course will have an innovative academic proposal, unique in the country, with an emphasis on Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science and Physics integrated with each other. The “hands-on” approach will encourage student engagement in activities through internships and industrial projects.
The selection of the most talented students in Brazil will be based on Obmep and knowledge olympiads. The 100 new students per year will have accommodation and scholarships to live in Rio de Janeiro.
For the general director of Impa, Marcelo Viana, the proposal is to offer a degree in Mathematics for technology and innovation, whose objective is to train highly qualified people for integration with industry and partners in the innovation sector.
“The selection of students will be based on Obmep, which brings together public schools, which also helps a lot to have a diverse group of students coming from all regions of Brazil, with a very large social penetration”, concluded Viana.
