Meeting brought together representatives from government, industry, and scientific institutions for dialog around the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health (PNIRS)
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) shared with the pharmaceutical industry its new role as the first anchor center for the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health (PNIRS) during an event entitled Panorama Setorial de Inovações Radicais em Saúde: perspectivas atuais e caminhos para a construção do Programa Nacional de Inovação Radical em Saúde [Sectoral panorama for radical health sector: current prospects and pathways to building the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health]. The event was held on July 7 in São Paulo by Sindusfarma, the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry association.
CNPEM Director General (fourth from right) and fellow panelists on stage during the audience Q&A session. Image: Sindusfarma.
This meeting united representatives from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the pharmaceutical industry, scientific institutions, research support agencies, and other actors in the health innovation ecosystem to discuss the consolidation of PNIRS and expand dialog between the various sectors involved in developing strategic technology for the Brazilian public health system (SUS). The event followed the publication of a Ministry of Health ordinance on July 3 establishing the program and recognizing CNPEM as the initiative’s first anchor center.
Representing CNPEM, Director General Antonio José Roque da Silva introduced the institution’s scientific and technological competencies and explained how the first PNIRS anchor center will work to bring research, technological development and industry closer together in order to drive radical innovation in health.
“This event was fundamental as a general introduction to the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health and to CNPEM’s role, in addition to promoting an essential dialog with the pharmaceutical industry, which is a driver of the success of this initiative. We discussed needs, opportunities and pathways to advance this agenda, bringing together the Ministry of Health, Sindusfarma and CNPEM around a common goal: to strengthen radical innovation for the benefit of Brazilian society,” he said.
In addition to the presentations, the meeting also included a roundtable discussion to answer questions about how the program will function, the role of the anchor centers, possibilities for corporate collaboration, and prospects for research, development and innovation (RD&I) projects.
The event also marked the release of a study entitled Panorama of the Radical Health Innovations Sector, which was conducted by Sindusfarma in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The study presents an overview of the technological capabilities, infrastructure and main challenges to the development of radical innovation in Brazil. During her presentation, the Ministry of Health’s Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Fernanda de Negri, noted that the findings from this research contributed to the development of the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health.
Participation in the meeting is part of an ongoing agenda to link CNPEM with different actors in the health innovation ecosystem. Throughout this year, the institution has held and participated in meetings with representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, universities, top-tier hospitals and institutions in Brazil and abroad. The meetings foster interaction between scientific institutions, the productive sector and government to discuss topics related to RD&I for Brazil’s SUS public health system, within the framework of the National Program for Radical Innovation in Health.
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), with the involvement of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, 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.
