Under the framework of the business mission to Brazil, driven by one of the underlying aims to participate in the BIN@ annual event at Ribeirão Preto (BIN@BRAZIL 2019), the delegation composed of FEUP/UPTEC and the company Everythink started their journey in Rio de Janeiro, with business visits to PUC-Rio (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro) and Firjan (private non-profit organisation representing the industry of the state of Rio de Janeiro).

28 OCTOBER was dedicated to various meetings taking place at PUC-Rio and included, among others:

  • The presentation of technological innovation programmes as well as ECOA @ YouTube channel (the latter being the multidisciplinary initiative aimed at disseminating to the wider academic community and public the knowledge created at the university, as well as at promoting the open innovation and co-creation ecosystem of the university);
  • Discussions over existing synergies and cooperation between the institutions (incl. the specific field of ocean robotics);
  • Presentation of the representative of FAPERJ – agency responsible for the promotion of science, technology and innovation and for establishing the favourable conditions for the social development of Brazil;
  • Visit to PUC-Rio Apple Developer Academy;
  • Presentation by SECTI – the Secretariat of Sciences, Technology and Innovation of the state of Rio de Janeiro

 

29 OCTOBER, on the other hand, was spent at the installations of Firjan:

Firjan is a private non-profit organisation that through its institutions SENAI, SESI, IEL and CIRJ (each having a separate contribution to the industry) and through more than 10 thousand associated companies, represents the industry of the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The overall mission of Firjan is to:

‘Promote business competitiveness, education and the life quality of workers and society, contributing to the sustainable development of the state of Rio de Janeiro.’

During the course of this mission, the existing institutional cooperation between FEUP (through the Business and Innovation Network) and Firjan was discussed and the future collaboration framework elaborated in morde detail, incl. defining the principles of future collaboration on R&D&I via the Memorandum of Understanding between the two institututions.

On the table was also the topic of organising the next year BIN@ annual event at the premises of Firjan, and in cooperation with PUC-Rio.