Brazil

Brazil is the largest nation in Latin America, both in population and economy, and boasts the sixth largest GDP in the world. With an annual GDP growth rate of over five percent, Brazil is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is expected to become one of the fifth largest within the coming decades. As such, Brazil is considered a priority for the Government of Canada, and is a key player in Canada’s Strategy for Engagement in the Americas, Global Commerce Strategy, and International Education Strategy. The relationship between Canada and Brazil is a strong one, as the two countries have a long-standing history of cooperation in many sectors such as health, education, defence, agriculture, and science and technology.  

Canada and Brazil share complementary economic aspects, namely large natural resources, petrochemical, and advanced manufacturing sectors, as well as a vibrant and expanding life-sciences industry (including many satellite institutions in pharma- and biopharmaceuticals, novel diagnostic tools, and therapy development). Both countries are well-positioned tod produce world-leading products and technologies to address unmet needs in these areas, and collaboration may lead to innovations that can further drive prosperity. S&T has been recognized as suitable foundations to accomplish this, and Nanotechnology in particular has been identified as a platform to advance developments in these sectors. 

WIN is an active partner with several research institutions in Brazil, including: 

WIN-led Canada-Brazil Research Workshops in Nanotechnology: 

  1. Canada-Brazil Workshop in September 2013 at WIN. Specific focus: energy; sustainable nanomaterials; sensors and devices; computational materials science; and nanobiomaterials 

  2. Canada-Brazil Start-Up and 3.0 Web Conference in João Pessoa in December 2013. Specific focus: to explore the pairing of Canadian and Brazilian accelerator centres and the Communitech Soft-Landing Program 

  3. Canada-Brazil Workshop in May 2014 at Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Specific focus: “Sustainable Nanomaterials:  Production and Applications of Nanocellulose”; to create common ground and a conducive environment for the joint development of products and processes from crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) and related materials 

  4. Canada-Brazil Workshop in nanotechnology, October 2015 (at Brazil’s “Tech Week” event) in São Paulo. Specific focus: A new approach combining academic research talks with the Tech Week industrial trade show and networking activities joining academia and industry with over 70 representatives from government, industry, and research institutions from both Canada and Brazil.

The Agreement for Research Exchange & Collaboration between WIN and the National Center for Research in Energy & Materials (CNPEM) was signed in 2013 for a 4-year initial period with automatic extension for 4 years.