Brazil and Canada: teaming up on sustainable industrial cooperation

Call for research, development, and innovation projects to be announced on April 28th

By Sérgio Siscaro

Canada is currently considered one of the countries with the best ecosystem for the development of innovative projects. And now, access to this environment has become easier for Brazilian companies. A call for proposals for industrial research and development projects will be launched on April 28 this year, open to small and medium-sized Canadian companies, Brazilian companies of any size, and research institutions accredited as units of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa e Inovação Industrial (Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Corporation) (Embrapii).

Although open to all industry segments and always with a bias towards sustainable solutions, the call will prioritize projects aimed at the use of artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), and advanced manufacturing in the agriculture, forestry, health, and mining sectors.  The initiative is part of the cooperation agreement signed in October 2020 between Embrapii and National Research Council of Canada (NRC). The purpose is, through the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP), to stimulate cooperation in research, development, and innovation between the two countries. Its execution is under the responsibility of National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) and Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development of Canada.

“Embrapii’s mission is to bring academia and industrial companies closer together, in the development of innovative solutions. This is the role played by the 61 Embrapii units, each with a specific area of activity. This partnership is an excellent way to internationalize our companies. This is the case of the cooperation with Canada: the prioritized themes are global demands, and are strategic for both countries”, says Embrapii’s operations director, Carlos Eduardo Pereira. “It is an excellent opportunity for Brazilian and Canadian companies to work together and with common objectives, co-financed by Brazil and Canada, and whose result will be a new product, service, or process”.

The program also includes webinars in which participants will have access to information about cooperation models in innovation, by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), NanoCanada, and Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos (Brazilian Exports and Investment Promotion Agency) (Apex-Brasil). The first of the series was held on February 23 and addressed the use of graphene in manufacturing processes. Forthcoming ones will take place on March 23 (industry 4.0 with a focus on mining) and April 20 (nanotechnology in the forestry industry). Additional information can be obtained on  NRC’s website, or from the program coordinator at CIIP, Ronda Gosselin, by e-mail.