The development of technologies in the areas of health, agriculture and blue economy, related to the sustainable use of ocean resources will be the focus of the Brazil-Brics Innovation Center for Neoindustrialization, which will begin operating next year, at the Federal University’s Technological Park of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, north of Rio.
The creation of the unit, which should start operating next year, was announced by the rector of UFRJ, Roberto Medronho, and by the executive director of the Park, Romildo Toledo, during the activities of the Brics Rectors’ Forum, which met at the State University of Moscow Lomonosov (MSU), representatives of universities from the bloc’s member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Also present were representatives from countries recently integrated into Brics, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates , Ethiopia and Egypt. The forum was chaired by MSU Rector Victor Sadovnichy.
The project was presented by the UFRJ delegation during the seminar Development of the BRICS Association in the context of global dynamics: objectives and perspectives at the Faculty of Global Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
For the rector of UFRJ, Roberto Medronho, the proposal was well received during the Brics Rectors’ Forum, in Moscow. “[A proposta] was very well accepted. This proposal is in line with President Lula’s policy of expanding south-south dialogue,” he told Brazil Agency.
According to the rector, companies from different countries already operate within the UFRJ Technology Park, and the intention is to attract others from the bloc’s countries to expand technical-scientific cooperation with Brics.
“Among the main objectives of the Brazil-Brics Innovation Center, firstly, is to attract companies from these countries because, in the UFRJ Technological Park, we have companies from all over the world, including Brazil. We need to strengthen technical-scientific cooperation ties with the Brics countries”, he stated.
For Roberto Medronho, the new unit’s operations must be aligned with the multipolar world. “To this end, we have proposals to expand coordination for agroindustry, for the economic-industrial health complex, for the bioeconomy, for sustainability and smart cities, energy transition. Ultimately, there is a set of issues and challenges, which, through this technical-scientific cooperation with Brics, we believe we will have innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of our people.”
According to UFRJ, the executive director of the UFRJ Technological Park, Romildo Toledo, “was recently highlighted among the most influential scientists in the world, according to a report from the North American university of Stanford, ranking first in Brazil in the area Building & Construction”.
