The HIDS Project (International Hub for Sustainable Development) – which is in the implementation phase at Unicamp – should be presented to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) later this year. The agreement was signed this Friday (28), during Minister Luciana Santos' visit to the University, where she participated in a panel discussion on Science and Technology in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas (RMC). HIDS was conceived as an innovation district dedicated to generating solutions for the challenges of sustainable development.
“An initiative like this is music to my ears,” said the minister after a meeting with the rector of Unicamp, Paulo Cesar Montagner, this morning. “What we most desire is for universities to integrate, through hubs or technology parks, with the private sector, and for the intelligence and richness of knowledge production at the university to translate into products and services,” she added.
“A hub like this goes in this direction. Even more so because it deals with sustainability, a contemporary, necessary, and imperative issue for us to have a better world. I was very pleased with the initiative, and we are open to proceeding with the appropriate developments. We already have a long-standing interaction with Unicamp and we will intensify it,” concluded the minister.
The HIDS proposal aims to establish, in a territory of 11,3 million m² – encompassing the Polo 2 High Technology Center (Ciatec 2), the Zeferino Vaz campus of Unicamp, and the PUC-Campinas campus 1 – a model of urban occupation and governance that enables partnerships and cooperation between research institutions, focusing on solutions advocated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN (United Nations).
The Executive Director of Sustainability at Unicamp, Roberto Donato, said that a meeting is being scheduled for December in Brasília for a technical presentation of the project. According to Donato, the objective is to discuss with the Ministry ways to make it viable. "Both in terms of seeking resources for the construction of the infrastructure, and in terms of agreements and innovation proposals that will make up the district itself," he added.
According to the rector, HIDS is one of the projects that can anchor the University in the coming years. Montagner also recalled the close relationship between the federal agency and Unicamp. “These are already consolidated relationships, due to the very nature of the ministry, but also because of our DNA, which is technology and innovation,” he stated. “Unicamp has many projects that should be of interest not only to our development, but also to the ministry, which is interested in the development of the country,” he argued.
Internationalization
The general coordinator of Unicamp, Fernando Coelho, drew attention to the need to expand the interaction between Brazilian universities and higher education institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa. According to Coelho, institutions in these regions, with which Brazil has little interaction, have been investing in research on poverty alleviation, popular economy, agricultural technologies, and fishing systems.
The Executive Director of International Relations, Rafael Dias, noted that international collaborations in teaching, research, and outreach are a fundamental dimension of national development.
“Unicamp has contributed significantly to this process, positioning itself as a relevant component of the Brazilian paradiplomatic system. The internationalization strategy we have been developing is very much aligned with the vision of building a multipolar world. We are investing in South-South relations as a way to stimulate scientific and technological development, without prejudice, of course, to the important collaborations we already have with countries of the so-called Global North,” he stated.
The meeting was also attended by the pro-rectors Mônica Cotta (Undergraduate Studies), Claudia Morelli (Postgraduate Studies) and Ana Fratini (Research), as well as the pro-rector for University Development, Fernando Sarti.
Debate
Minister Luciana Santos participated in a debate on science and technology in the Campinas Metropolitan Region, held in the auditorium of the Association of Professors of Unicamp (Adunicamp). Federal Deputy Orlando Silva and City Councilor Gustavo Petta were also present at the meeting.
Cover photo:
