New partnership will double investments aimed at research in emerging areas in Open Ran and Advanced Therapies;
Resources will be managed by CPqD, in Campinas, and by Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Hospital Albert Einstein, in the capital
Embrapii (Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company) and Fapesp (São Paulo State Research Support Foundation) will invest a total of R$ 150 million in two Embrapii Competence Centers located in the state of São Paulo, in Campinas and in capital. The partnership enables a contribution of R$ 75 million from Fapesp for research in the areas of OpenRan and Advanced Therapies, doubling the investment initially planned for the initiatives, which will boost strategic research for the country in technological frontier areas.
The signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT), which will guarantee the new resources, was held this Wednesday (21), during the 1st Embrapii Competence Centers Roadshow, at the headquarters of Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo). Paul). The ceremony to formalize the agreement was attended by the president of Embrapii, Chico Saboya, the director-president of the Technical-Administrative Council of Fapesp, Carlos Américo Pacheco, and representatives from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Health, in addition to institutions representing the productive sector.
With an unprecedented model, the Embrapii Competence Centers will build knowledge and create reference points in the country for research in areas of frontier technologies.
“It is important to record Embrapii’s progress, in the last two years, of incorporating a new type of technological development for the industry, with a more proactive model, in which, through these Competence Centers, we are able to pioneer frontier technologies . And we are pleased to add Fapesp to this pool of entities, already formed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Health, as our partner in incorporating the effort to financially reinforce this project”, he highlighted. the president of Embrapii, Chico Saboya.
The director-president of Fapesp's Technical-Administrative Council, Carlos Américo Pacheco, highlighted the importance of the agreement: “Fapesp is very pleased to enter into this partnership with Embrapii. Fapesp has been working to promote innovation for over 20 years, with its program for small innovative companies, which has already supported around 1,800 companies, and its type of collaborative research between universities, institutes and companies, such as its research centers in engineering. The competence centers announced today open another possibility of supporting innovation and will certainly stimulate other types of cooperation between Fapesp and Embrapii. The centers announced here will be able to submit projects to Fapesp, which will analyze them based on its criteria and decide to supplement the resources already contributed. I am sure that we will have good reasons to celebrate in the near future by strengthening the skills of these institutions”.
OpenRan
The Telecommunications Research and Development Center (CPQD), located in Campinas (SP), was selected in May 2023 to manage the Embrapii Competence Center in OpenRAN (Open Radio Access Networks). The contract provides for the contribution of R$ 60 million from Embrapii, arising from the MCTI's PPI IoT/Manufacturing 4.0 Priority Program. With an additional R$ 60 million, to be invested from now on by Fapesp, the amount invested will reach R$ 120 million. In addition, at least another R$ 6 million must be raised from associated companies, reaching a total of at least R$ 126 million.
The Embrapii Competence Center in OpenRAN focuses on the development of open technologies for telecommunications network infrastructure. Currently, networks are dependent on equipment produced by a few suppliers that offer proprietary solutions. The Embrapii Competence Center in OpenRAN will allow companies to specialize in the development of open software and hardware, enabling the emergence of new companies in the segment and increasing the supply of equipment and solutions to network operators.
Advanced Therapies
The Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Hospital Albert Einstein will receive R$ 15 million from Embrapii, from the Ministry of Health, for research at the Embrapii Competence Center in Advanced Therapies. With this Wednesday's announcement, Fapesp also starts to invest the same amount, adding up to an investment of R$ 30 million. The managing institution, selected in September 2023, must still seek an additional R$ 2.3 million from associated companies, which represents a total contribution of at least R$ 32.3 million.
The Embrapii Competence Center for Advanced Therapies has the mission of advancing the study of gene therapies for innovative treatments against diseases that still lack resolving therapies. Einstein will develop research that seeks frontier solutions by enhancing or modifying the performance of human cells. Gene therapies can help reduce or eliminate the need for continuous treatments that can last a lifetime, in addition to allowing the development of treatments for diseases without satisfactory responses.
What are Competence Centers
The Centers will work on eight different themes and will be responsible for innovative solutions with the aim of enabling major industry trends for the future. In total, there will be nine Competence Centers with a total investment of R$ 495 million from Embrapii, an amount that will be leveraged through partnerships with new investing institutions and contracts to be signed with associated companies.
The model will attract companies and create qualified jobs, in addition to investments, adding value to the region where they are located. Furthermore, they will leave a broad legacy that includes the training of high-quality human resources focused on academia and industry; international cooperation, including the development of joint research; encouraging the development of cooperative industry projects, involving startups; creation of infrastructure for research and development of solutions, in thematic areas, of global prominence.
In addition to the Embrapii Competence Centers in OpenRAN and Advanced Therapies, another six have already been announced. For this year 2024, the selection of the Embrapii Competence Center in Cybersecurity is still planned, completing the list of nine units in total.
Check out the list of centers already announced:
Embrapii Competence Center in OpenRAN.
Management unit: Telecommunications Research and Development Center – CPqD
Embrapii Competence Center in Quantum Technology.
Management unit: SENAI Cimatec – Integrated Manufacturing and Technology Center (BA);
Embrapii Competence Center in 5G and 6G Connectivity Technology and Infrastructures.
Management unit: Inatel – Inatel Instituto Nacional de Telecommunications (MG);
Embrapii Competence Center for Immersive Technologies Applied to Virtual Worlds.
Management unit: CEIA-UFG – Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at the Federal University of Goiás (GO);
Embrapii Competence Center for Smart and Connected Hardware Platforms – Smart Grid and Electric Mobility.
Management unit: Lactec – Institute of Technology for Development (PR);
Embrapii Competence Center for Smart and Connected Hardware Platforms – Digital Agriculture.
Management unit: SENAI Innovation Institute (ISI) in Sensing Systems (RS);
Embrapii Competence Center for Intelligent and Connected Hardware Platforms.
Management unit: Virtus-UFCG – Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Information Technology, Communication and Automation, at the Federal University of Campina Grande (PB); It is
Competence Center for Advanced Therapies.
Management unit: Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Albert Einstein Hospital.
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