José Roque highlighted the role of large scientific infrastructures in advancing science and innovation in Brazil
The Director-General of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Antonio José Roque da Silva, participated in the 12th edition of the Brazil Conference Harvard & MIT, one of the leading international forums dedicated to discussing strategic issues for Brazil. Held between 27 and 29 March in Cambridge, the event brought together leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities for the country’s development. Now in its 12th edition, the initiative is organized by the Brazilian community of researchers, professors, and students working in the United States.
During his presentation, the director-general introduced CNPEM and highlighted the role of the Center’s scientific and multi-user infrastructures in strengthening science, technology, and innovation in Brazil. Among the examples discussed were Sirius, a fourth-generation synchrotron light source and the largest scientific infrastructure in the country, and the Orion project, a laboratory complex for advanced research on pathogens that will be available to the national and international scientific community.
Roque was part of the panel “Science and Technology in the Public Sector”, which discussed the role of technology as a driver of transformation in public innovation. The debate addressed the challenges of structuring and consolidating scientific institutions in a country of continental dimensions, as well as the paths taken to build strategic initiatives.
Throughout the discussion, the Director-gGeneral highlighted the importance of long-term projects and the continuity of public policies for building robust scientific capabilities. He emphasized that CNPEM’s trajectory began with a smaller synchrotron, fundamental for the training of human resources and for the international insertion of Brazilian science, and evolved into the conception and construction of a globally competitive infrastructure, such as Sirius. He also emphasized the Center’s role in engaging with national industry and in the ongoing training of researchers and specialists.
Furthermore, Roque emphasized the importance of consolidating a Brazilian scientific culture oriented towards ambition and excellence, capable of positioning the country at the forefront of knowledge. He also highlighted the challenges of coordination between different actors in the innovation system, pointing to the importance of integrated models that bring together researchers, the productive sector, and institutional structures around common objectives.
The panel included, in addition to the Director-General of CNPEM, the participation of Gabriel Azevedo, professor and former president of the Belo Horizonte City Council, and Thiago Campos, a public health lawyer specializing in public management and health law. The mediation was conducted by Camila Achutti, an entrepreneur in technology and education.
The full panel discussion is available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/At0xtT_qnLM?si=CB0KdHn8DlhBrcvz&t=4098
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
