The State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the Municipality of São José do Rio Preto signed, on Monday (22), a cooperation agreement in Research and Development (R&D) projects focused on technological innovation. The agreement is valid for five years and is open to all areas of knowledge at the University. The signing took place in a hybrid event with the presence of Unicamp's Pro-Rector of Research, João Marcos Travassos Romano, and the city's mayor, Edson Coelho Araújo. During the meeting, broadcast live on the Inova Unicamp YouTube Channel, the “number 1” addition to the partnership was also signed.
The first project provides a digital solution for the integration of public services, with the customization of open source planning and management software - a Municipal ERP. It will be the base of the municipality's eGov platform, located in the northwest of São Paulo. As one of the platform's additional features, a cost control system will be developed for the Municipal Health Department using Artificial Intelligence.
“We are going to develop this R&D project based on the work carried out by a City Hall employee, who designed an award-winning system for calculating health expenses and costs. We will carry out the digital transformation of this system, which is currently semi-manual, increasing its processing capacity”, explained Unicamp professor Leonardo Mendes, coordinator of the agreement's activities.
By optimizing the use of resources, São José do Rio Preto seeks to place itself on the map of smart cities, that is, cities that use technology to support human and social development, aiming at improving citizens' quality of life. In this first phase, data mining and analysis techniques (Data Mining and Data Analytics) will be used to improve processes already developed in analog form. Researchers, students and employees from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FEEC) at Unicamp will participate in the project.
The Pro-Rector of Research at Unicamp, professor João Marcos Travassos Romano, who participated virtually in the event representing the rector of Unicamp, professor Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, highlighted the importance that the university's current management attributes to the relationship with city halls such as São José do Rio Preto. In August, the municipality, with an estimated population of 469 thousand inhabitants, was elevated to the headquarters of the seventh Metropolitan Region created in the State.
“The topic of smart cities has gained significant space in several research groups at Unicamp in recent years. May this be the first of several projects, and may also involve education, the municipality's processing company and several other areas. Our interest in cooperating and keeping Unicamp open to Brazilian cities is total, especially with the cities of São Paulo, bringing the University closer to society”, said Romano.
Relationship with Unicamp
This is not the first time that the municipality has entered into a partnership with Unicamp to develop technological processes seeking solutions for the city. Between 2004 and 2008, researchers participated in a series of studies that proposed everything from an Integrated Governance System to the implementation of a digital inclusion program for public school students, known as Conexão do Saber.
“Unicamp has been a traditional partner for the city. Being accompanied by a university the size of Unicamp fills us with pride. Our principle is to do more, and better, with less. This project will certainly provide more efficient control of public spending. The topic of smart cities is on the agenda and we want to be at the forefront”, said the mayor, Edson Coelho Araújo.
The contract with the Department of Health has a term of twelve months and the municipality will invest the maximum amount of 294 thousand reais. The executive director of Inova Unicamp, Ana Frattini, explains that agreements like this bring benefits to both parties. The Unicamp Innovation Agency is responsible, among other things, for mediate negotiations of the university with private companies and the public sector
“The benefits of these partnerships are many. On the one hand, the city hall has access to renowned researchers who develop tailor-made scientific-technological solutions. On the other hand, the inflow of resources contributes to the maintenance of the University's laboratories. Furthermore, our students get closer to market demands and prepare themselves more strongly for professional challenges after their academic life”, he concludes.
Original article published on the Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency website.
