A new international innovation hub has just been created at Unicamp. On September 27th, authorities from the University, the Brazil-China Sociocultural Institute (Ibrachina) and the Ibrawork (open innovation hub) cut the ribbon for the inauguration of the new Research, Development and Innovation Center (CPDI), installed in the Núcleo Building of Unicamp Scientific and Technological Park, located on the Campinas campus and under the management of Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency.
CPDI's mission is to promote joint actions between Unicamp and the Ibrachina Institute, a entity dedicated to promoting integration between Brazil and China. CPDI will be a center for developing joint projects of research and innovation between the two countries, aiming to promote the academic, economic and social development of Brazil, and in particular, of the State of São Paulo.
The CPDI headquarters in the Unicamp Scientific Park Center building is a modern and innovative space, designed to encourage networking between researchers who will develop new technologies and solutions for the current market. One of the center's objectives is to connect actors from the Unicamp, Ibrachina and Ibrawork community with global researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators, in addition to establishing partnerships with innovation hubs in China.
New opportunities
The rector of Unicamp, professor Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, participated in the CPDI inauguration ceremony and highlighted that initiatives like this are valuable in projecting a new moment for the country, taking advantage of its full potential. “Having Ibrachina and Ibrawork nearby is a great opportunity for us to make exchanges and make that leap in quality that the Brazilian economy needs. We need to transform everything we develop from knowledge into products, into innovation, and this innovation needs to be in tune with the present, that is, it needs to be sustainable, economically viable, include women scientists and all races, in addition to contributing to thinking in a world that makes science and technology something that generates justice”, commented the dean of Unicamp.
Professor Renato Lopes, associate executive director of the Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency, was also present at the inauguration and thanked the Ibrachina representatives for the honor of bringing this initiative to Unicamp, which has high potential to explore many opportunities: “CPDI opens a huge number of doors for new research and for the companies located here. The presence of Ibrachina favors the internationalization of our companies and the arrival of Chinese companies in Brazil. And these opportunities will arise from the networks of contacts that will be created, which will give rise to partnerships, innovations, new businesses, solutions and proposals. I congratulate once again everyone who encouraged this initiative”, celebrated Lopes.
The new center will be directed by Tak Chung Wu, who in his speech said he hopes the new space will facilitate the exchange of research together with China. “We are open to all those interested in forming partnerships and promoting cooperation initiatives between countries. Welcome,” declared Wu.
Ana Kaline Ou Law, administrative and financial director of Ibrachina, also spoke at the event and highlighted that CPDI will encourage the participation of women in research in science, technology and innovation. “And for this, the heart of our center will be the new room that we are inaugurating, which honors Dr. Tu Youyou, the only Chinese scientist to win the Nobel Prize”, said Law. At the end of the speeches, a brief ceremony unveiled a plaque honoring Youyou. The Chinese pharmacologist and educator received the Nobel Prize in 2015 and became famous for her discoveries of medicines to treat malaria based on extracts from the plant. Anniversary Artemisia, same extract used by S Cosméticos do Bem, a daughter company of Unicamp, to create a Rejuvenating Serum.
Doctor Li Li Min, professor at the Department of Neurology at Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp, played an active role in CPDI's arrival at Unicamp's Scientific and Technological Park and will continue to support the center's actions and the integration and cooperation between Brazil and China. When speaking, he highlighted the importance of the country looking at China, according to him, “the modern silk road”. “This is a stimulating challenge and I invite everyone to bring their ideas and demands so that we can think of joint solutions to face the challenges of contemporary society based on the UN SDGs”, concluded Min.
Also speaking at the ceremony were former minister Ricardo Berzoini, current Ibrachina consultant in Brasília, and Adriana Flosi, secretary of Economic Development, Technology and Innovation at Campinas City Hall. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several business leaders, representatives of research institutions, universities and city halls in the region, as well as researchers and academics.
Find out more about the Unicamp Scientific Park
The Unicamp Scientific and Technological Park is managed by Innovates Unicamp and is located within Unicamp's largest campus, in the city of Campinas. The site consists of 100 urbanized m², designed to host R&D laboratories - with research projects in partnership with Unicamp and startups.
The entry of companies is carried out through the submission of proposals in a continuous flow notice, available along with a step-by-step guide on the Park website for startups or for companies that want to install their research laboratories within Unicamp.
