Research groups will receive funding for the development of RD&I proposals. About 530 students will be able to participate in the initiative
Eleven research groups - established within Federal Universities, linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) - will be accredited as new units of the EMBRAPII (Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation) network. The groups of researchers from the institutions will have around R$ 30 million available to invest in research, development and innovation (RD&I) projects to meet the demands of the industrial sector. With the accreditation, the EMBRAPII network now has 55 Units.
According to MEC's Secretary of Higher Education, Wagner Vilas Boas, the accreditation of the new units shows the Ministry's commitment to encourage innovation in federal universities. "EMBRAPII is a reference in the sector of innovation and industrial technology. We want to bring this experience into universities", he says.
The projects will be developed in the areas of Renewable Energies, Forest Fibers, Embedded Systems, Geotechnology and Agribusiness, Artificial Intelligence, Industrial Computing, Advanced Materials / Nanomaterials, Industrial Computing, Intelligent Robotics, Vehicle Systems and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). EMBRAPII will finance a third of the value of the projects for the new units with non-reimbursable resources.
Empowered by the financing model, the partnership aims to attract companies due to the existing knowledge and their ability to generate technological solutions for the new units. The goal is to generate 175 projects and R$ 100 million in innovation investments, as added to the amount contributed by EMBRAPII, the financial contribution from companies and the Unit's non-financial resources (labor, cutting-edge equipment, etc.). ). Companies are expected to invest around R$ 50 million in the projects.
"For each accredited Unit, EMBRAPII assures the industry that that research center can act as its R&D unit or complete the activities of the center that the company already has", highlights EMBRAPII's CEO, Jorge Guimarães.
The 11 new EMBRAPII Units were selected from 37 proposals submitted by research groups from universities. Professional Training - In addition to stimulating interaction between the productive sector and academic centers, the accreditation of units at federal universities also aims at training qualified professionals to work in RD&I projects in the industry.
The program foresees the participation of undergraduate and graduate students in EMBRAPII projects, in the hands-on model, which allows learning from real experience working in applied research projects with the industry. In addition to acquiring research skills and consolidating its technical skills, the EMBRAPII Human Resources training program allows the development of skills that go beyond the technical dimension, with that of persuasion and negotiation; project management; communication and leadership. About 530 students will have the opportunity to participate in the initiative.
Meet the 11 selected EMBRAPII Units:
EMBRAPII Unit in Forest Fibers of the Federal Unit of Viçosa (UFV)
The new EMBRAPII Unit will operate in the Forest Fibers area, developing RD&I, from production to the conversion of fibers into new materials and products of greater value. The group includes researchers from the Forestry Engineering Department (DEF), which has excellent infrastructure and a history of proximity to companies in the accredited area.
EMBRAPII Unit in Renewable Energy at the University of Santa Maria (UFSM)
The new EMBRAPII Unit brings together researchers from the Intelligent Networks Institute, a supplementary body of the Technology Center (CT) of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), in Rio Grande do Sul. The research group operates in the area of renewable energies, covering topics such as the integration of renewable energy resources in electrical networks, energy conversion, energy efficiency and storage of energy and electric vehicles.
EMBRAPII Unit in Sustainable Materials and Processes at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)
The new EMBRAPII Unit is able to develop RD&I projects in the Advanced Materials area, with a focus on innovative, sustainable and functional products and processes. The research will be supported by the technical and laboratory infrastructure of the Center for Exact Sciences and Technology (CCET), which has important scientific production in the national and international scenario.
EMBRAPII Unit in Polymeric and Functional Materials at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC)
The new Unit, composed of researchers from the Group of Science, Technology and Innovation in Materials (GTIM), will work on the development of advanced materials, with an emphasis on functional polymers and on the improvement of functional surfaces for application in the areas of energy, biotechnology and transport . The group is made up of professionals from different areas of training, allowing the group to act in a complementary interdisciplinary way.
EMBRAPII Unit in Advanced Materials and Nanomaterials at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)
The new EMBRAPII Unit, formed by researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), will offer the productive sector expertise in the area of Advanced Materials, with a focus on polymeric and nanomaterials. The development of RD&I projects in these areas enables an important advance in the chemical, pharmaceutical, health, aerospace, defense, civil construction, cellulose, cosmetic and automotive segments.
EMBRAPII Unit in Embedded Systems at the University of Ceará (UFC)
The new Unit brings together researchers from the Computer Systems Engineering Laboratory of the University of Ceará (LESC), which is part of the UFC's Department of Teleinformatics Engineering (DETI). The research group has a solid performance in computer systems projects. At EMBRAPII, he will work in the area of complex embedded systems, with an emphasis on energy conversion, fault diagnostics and industrial automation.
EMBRAPII Unit in Geotechnology and Agribusiness at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA)
The new Unit will develop intelligent systems in geotechnology and agribusiness. The group includes professionals from different departments of UFLA and its main objective is to enhance the knowledge generated at the University, transforming them into innovative products for society, exceeding the limits of research and promoting the sustainable development of the country.
EMBRAPII Unit in Artificial Intelligence at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG)
Headquartered at the UFG Institute of Informatics and composed of researchers from the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, the new Unit has dedicated and multidisciplinary teams to develop technological solutions in Artificial Intelligence, with an emphasis on machine learning (Deep Learning), from data and environments.
EMBRAPII Unit in Intelligent Robotics at the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG)
The new unit includes researchers from the Innovation Center in Data Science and Robotics (iTec), from FURG. Accredited in Intelligent Robotics, the research group will develop projects in the area associated with the Coastal and Oceanic Ecosystem and its entire production chain.
EMBRAPII Unit in Industrial Computing at the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL)
The new EMBRAPII Unit involves researchers from the UFAL Computing Institute, a regional reference in the research and development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects. At EMBRAPII, he will develop projects in the area of Industrial Computing.
EMBRAPII Unit in Vehicle Technologies and Systems at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE)
The new EMBRAPII Unit is formed by researchers from UFPE's Center for Informatics (CIn), an important center in Brazil and Latin America. It is accredited to develop RD&I in the area of Vehicle Technologies and Systems, working with software and hardware solutions in automotive systems and its entire value chain.
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