UFRJ Science Park stands out in the global innovation scene and strengthens its internationalisation with agreements signed during mission to China

An immersion in innovation at its very source and highest potential. This was the experience of UFRJ Science Park’s mission to China, held from 8 to 30 September. The Park’s delegation — composed of its director, Romildo Toledo, corporate relations manager, Natali Emerick, communications manager, Aline Calamara, and international relations advisor, Lorena Gurgel — carried out a strategic agenda in six Chinese cities. The mission combined the Anprotec Mission to China, participation in global events such as the 42nd World Conference of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), the signing of agreements, and technical visits to map opportunities in digital health, biotechnology and AI, aiming to gather insights and partnerships for the Park’s future Health Hub.

Three-part mission

The first stage of the visit to China was part of the mission organised by the National Association of Entities Promoting Innovative Enterprises (Anprotec). The group brought together 32 representatives from 18 universities and innovation environments across different regions of Brazil, including UFRJ Science Park and PUC Rio (RJ), UFPE and Porto Digital (PE), PUC RS (RS) and UNITINS (TO). Also in attendance were Sheila Pires, director of the Department for Supporting Innovation Ecosystems of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), and Adriana de Faria, president of Anprotec. From 8 to 12 September, the Brazilian delegation visited laboratories, universities and innovation environments in Xiamen, a city that has been consolidating itself as an innovation hub in China, with its Free Trade Zone already accounting for more than 12% of the local economy and a third of the region’s exports.

After an intense agenda in Xiamen, the group travelled to Beijing. On 15 September, the Embassy of Brazil organised a strategic event at its headquarters, highlighting the potential for cooperation in innovation between Brazil and China, with the presence of the Brazilian delegation of the Anprotec Mission and representatives of Chinese public and private entities.

From 16 to 19 September, the delegation took part in the 42nd World Conference of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP). Under the theme “Elevating Excellence: Innovation Spaces Driving High-Quality Development”, the event brought together around one thousand managers of public and private innovation environments from around the world, with a focus on sharing experiences and strengthening innovation practices.

The third stage of the China Mission was organised by the International Relations Office of UFRJ Science Park in partnership with Innovation Diplomacy, an initiative linked to Itamaraty. From 20 to 30 September, the Park’s delegation visited universities and innovation environments and took part in events in five Chinese cities: Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Shanghai. The aim was to learn from experiences and establish partnerships in the health sector, in preparation for the launch of the Park’s Health Hub, scheduled for November 2025.

Park in the spotlight

During the mission, the director of UFRJ Science Park, Romildo Toledo, delivered seven talks, including two days at the 42nd IASP World Conference, as well as presentations at the Brazilian Embassy in Beijing and at innovation events in Shanghai, Dongguan and Hangzhou. In all of them, the pioneering work of UFRJ Science Park stood out, positioning Brazil as a robust innovation hub.

Among the topics addressed by the director were the governance model adopted by the Park to ensure agility in innovation, technology transfer, and the potential of UFRJ Science Park for the development of innovative and sustainable solutions.

Agreements signed

The strategic agenda resulted in the signing of three agreements between UFRJ Science Park and leading Chinese innovation institutions: two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed with the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (SAIRI) and with Hangzhou Normal University Science Park; and a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed with the China-BRICS Science and Incubation Park for the New Era, based in Xiamen. New agreements are expected thanks to the connections made in China.

With the China Mission, UFRJ Science Park consolidates itself as an important global innovation ecosystem, expanding international partnerships that drive Brazilian innovation.

To learn more about UFRJ Science Park, visit www.parque.ufrj.br.