CNPEM’s Deputy Director of Technology will present a lecture on the possibilities of partnerships between the Center and Brazilian companies for CERN tenders
On November 6th, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) will participate in the seminar “High-Technology Acquisitions at CERN: Business Opportunities for Brazilian Companies”. The event, promoted by Finep, a public company linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), will be held free of charge and in person at the foundation’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

Imagem: Divulgação CERN
During the seminar, CNPEM’s Deputy Director of Technology, James Citadini, will present the lecture “About CNPEM, its Relationship with CERN, and Possibilities for Partnership with Brazilian Companies Interested in CERN’s Tenders”. In his presentation, Citadini will address the history of collaboration between CNPEM and CERN and detail ways to establish partnerships between the Center and national companies, focusing on technological cooperation and the insertion of Brazilian industry in international tenders promoted by the European organization.
The event marks an important step in consolidating Brazil’s presence at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), the world’s largest physics laboratory, located on the border between Switzerland and France. It was at CERN that the World Wide Web was born in 1989, and where the Higgs boson was discovered in 2012.
In 2024, Brazil became an Associate Member of CERN, which allows Brazilian companies to compete for highly complex technology contracts in the areas of cryogenics, vacuum systems, detectors, electronics, magnets, and software. CERN’s annual purchases total approximately US$ 625 million in goods and services.
Finep’s initiative seeks to broaden the participation of national industry in large-scale international projects and strengthen Brazil’s technological base in highly complex sectors. The seminar will also present how CERN’s acquisitions work and the potential of Brazilian technology-based companies to act as suppliers to the institution.
In addition to the participation of CNPEM, the program includes presentations by Carlos Alberto Aragão de Carvalho Filho, Finep’s Director of Scientific and Technological Development; Rafael Fabra Navarro, Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) to the Brazilian Industry at CERN; and Carlos Quintana, representative in Brazil of the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI/Spain), which will present the Spanish experience in supporting the insertion of CERN supplier companies.
The event will also feature representatives from the MCTI and Embrapii, and will discuss Finep’s support opportunities for the Big Science sector, reinforcing Brazil’s role in the global science and innovation chain. Registration for the event is free and can be done here.
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).





