Brasilia mars 2025

Sweden-Brazil Innovation Week

November saw the 12th edition of the Sweden-Brazil Innovation Week, celebrating a year of collaborative efforts. The innovation week was organized by the Embassy of Sweden in Brasilia with the Office for Science and Innovation (OSI) Brasilia. The Swedish delegation was led by State Secretary Tobias Karlström from the Prime Minister’s Office with the participation of Camilla Mellander, Director General for Trade Policy at the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Brigadier Olof Hultgren, Ministry of Defence, and Major General Jonas Wikman (Chief of the Swedish Air Force). We had the participation of industries, startups, funding agencies, universities, research institutes.

The event started with the 10th High-Level Group on Aeronautics, attended by distinguished Swedish and Brazilian representatives. They analysed the year's activities, including the Air Domain Study and the AI and Autonomy working group, reaffirming their commitment to continued collaboration. The second high-level meeting was the 9th Brazil-Sweden Steering Group Meeting on Innovative High-Tech Industrial Cooperation, emphasizing the strong partnership in high-tech innovation. The event included presentations on health, sustainable cities, the bioeconomy, and the roles of funding agencies.

The opening ceremony in Florianópolis focused on innovation and space, with speeches from leading authorities and a captivating lecture by Swedish astronaut Marcus Wandt. The week emphasized the strong cooperation between Brazil and Sweden to boost technological advances and sustainable development. Seminars were held in several areas, from digital health to aeronautics. We also had two matchmakings, one led by Ignite between Swedish startups and large Brazilian companies and the second with SMEs, research institutes, and universities.

Nobel Experience

Randy Schekman, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, visited Brasília to participate in events at the University of Brasilia and to engage with middle school students. It was the first time that a Nobelist talked to teenagers in Brazil. His visit was part of the Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative, aimed at inspiring young scientists and fostering scientific collaboration. Schekman shared his groundbreaking research on vesicular transport in cells, which has significantly advanced the understanding of diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes. The event was organized by the Embassy of Sweden in Brasília, OSI Brasilia and AstraZeneca.

International cooperation within BRICS

Curious about the latest breakthroughs in science and innovation in Brazil? Dive into these fascinating topics and stay updated on cutting-edge developments!

Brazil is this year’s rotating presidency of BRICS, a cooperation with China, India, Russia and South Africa that has recently been enlarged with the six new members, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS has areas of cooperation also in science and innovation. Among the priorities for 2025 are: Global Health Cooperation (with a focus on access to medicines and vaccines, including the launch of the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases); Climate Change (aiming at an adoption of a BRICS Climate Leadership Agenda) and Artificial Intelligence Governance (where BRICS is addressing the issues of international governance of AI technologies). Promoting industrial innovation is another priority for the Brazilian BRICS presidency, aiming at increased collaboration between universities, companies and technology parks, as well as technology transfer. Another matter of cooperation is regarding the exploration and use of space, promoting collaboration between space agencies, private companies and other sectors. As well as ministerial meetings, the science and innovation area will have 13 working groups.

Learn more: https://brics.br/en

A new discovery 

Scientists at the National Centre for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Brazil have discovered a new enzyme called CelOCE that significantly increases the production of second-generation ethanol from agricultural waste such as sugar cane bagasse and corn straw. This enzyme breaks down cellulose efficiently, allowing for better utilization of raw materials and reducing waste. The discovery promises to boost biofuel production, contributing to a more sustainable and renewable energy source, according to a Nature article (A metagenomic ‘dark matter’ enzyme catalyses oxidative cellulose conversion | Nature). The interesting thing about this discovery is that the enzyme comes from Brazilian soil, which is biodiversity. The search for new molecules is one of the main interests of CNPEM's National Laboratory for Biorenewables (LNBR). The LNBR has several international partnerships, including with the Chalmers University of Technology. The partnership also involves training such as the one that will take place in May in Brazil: School of Industrial Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology.

Read more: I Industrial Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology School

AI and Swedish-Brazilian cooperation

OSI Brasilia recently welcomed Fredrik Heintz, a professor at Linköping University and an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), to promote connections and explore advances in AI both in terms of policy and cooperation. OSI organized meetings with the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCTI) to talk about Brazil's new AI policy and also about Swedish-Brazilian cooperation in AI. Fredrik Heintz is also the Swedish point of contact for the AI group of the innovation cooperation. Many meetings were held with important stakeholders such as the National Authority of Data Protection (ANPD), the EU Delegation, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the Center for Strategic Management and Studies (CGEE), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE).

Find out more about the visit in the new OSI Brasilia article (Linkedin)

Internship Opportunity in Science Diplomacy with Sweden and Brazil

Are you a university student passionate about science diplomacy? If so, this is an incredible opportunity for you! This internship will immerse you in the realms of innovation, research, and higher education. What you’ll be doing:

• Participating in bilateral meetings
• Communicating with our stakeholders
• Organizing events
• Reporting on key issues affecting the bilateral relationship

What we’re looking for: Knowledge of research, innovation, and science in Sweden (a plus)

Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of a dynamic and impactful partnership: Lediga praktikplatser - Regeringen.se