INCOBRA - Increasing International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Brazil and the European Union

The Brazilian Financial Agency for Projects and Studies (Finep) and the RVO, an enterprise agency from Netherlands, have signed  a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim to foment opportunities in Science, Technology and Innovation. It establishes cooperation among research institutes and innovative Brazilian and Dutch companies developing and strengthening a transnational network of scientific, technologic and industrial cooperation. This will happen through the exchange of experiences and trough the development of action plans and activities within mutual interest areas.

According to RVO´s International Affairs director, Bas Pulles, “there are several business and collaboration opportunities between Brazil and the Netherlands, from technological agribusiness – area in which both countries are world leaders – to new energy solutions, a challenge that the whole world is immerse on." 

Moreover, Pulles affirms that the Netherlands has been restructuring its innovation system to deal with challenges triggered by the world economic crisis that had its apex in the last years. “We know it is in these moments that we should invest even more in innovation. Cooperation and internationalization are our main focus at this moment, our entrepreneurship background is what moves us to develop new partnerships. We are confident in strengthen our ties at an agency level”, he said.

Finep´s president, Wanderley de Souza, highlighted the importance in signing partnerships among agencies in order to promote the sharing and exchange of what both sides have as best assets. “There are surely innovative experiences at RVO and we, from Finep, want to learn from them and teach them as well. We aim at establishing concrete actions very soon”, he affirmed.

The most relevant thematic areas for development of cooperation activities are: circular economy, bio-economy, including biotechnology, chemistry and biofuels, renewable energies and energy efficiency, hydric resources and environmental sanitation, agriculture, marine sciences, sustainable urban mobility, aeronautics and space, health, facilitative technologies including nanotechnology and ICT.