UFRJ Science Park expands global reach with first Latin American partnership

The UFRJ Science Park continues to strengthen its global presence by creating new international opportunities for its innovation ecosystem.

In a significant milestone for its internationalization strategy, UFRJ Science Park has signed a partnership agreement with Fundación Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge), in Panama. This marks the Park's first formal agreement with an innovation ecosystem in Latin America, reinforcing its commitment to fostering regional integration and advancing innovation across borders.

The partnership establishes a framework for collaboration between companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, and talent from both ecosystems, encouraging knowledge exchange, business development, and joint innovation initiatives throughout Latin America.

Planned activities include reciprocal soft-landing programs to support companies entering new markets, business missions, connections with academic talent, and joint webinars. The agreement also aims to identify new opportunities for cooperation in research, development, and innovation (R&D&I), paving the way for collaborative projects and stronger ties between the Brazilian and Panamanian innovation communities.

The relationship between the two institutions began in April, during a meeting of the Latin American Division of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), of which both UFRJ Science Park and Ciudad del Saber are members.

Janelle Castrellón, Business Director at Ciudad del Saber, also serves as President of IASP's Latin American Division, highlighting the role of international networks in building strategic connections between innovation ecosystems.

With this agreement, UFRJ Science Park now has eight formal partnerships with innovation environments worldwide, further consolidating its international network and expanding opportunities for global collaboration.

Learn more about UFRJ Science Park's international partnerships through its Parque Global initiative.

https://parque.ufrj.br/parque-global/

About UFRJ Science Park

Located on the main campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in Brazil, UFRJ Science Park is an innovation ecosystem that connects academia, industry, startups, and research institutions to foster technological development, entrepreneurship, and collaborative innovation.

By bringing together companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, and emerging talent, the Park promotes knowledge transfer and the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges. Its activities encourage partnerships between universities and businesses, supporting research-driven innovation and the transformation of scientific knowledge into economic and societal value.

Through its internationalization strategy and the initiatives led by its International Relations Office, UFRJ Science Park seeks to strengthen its connections with innovation ecosystems worldwide, creating opportunities for international business, research cooperation, talent exchange, and access to new markets.

About Ciudad del Saber

Located in Panama City, near the Panama Canal, Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge) is a dynamic innovation ecosystem that brings together companies, startups, universities, research centers, and international organizations.

With activities spanning technology, biosciences, logistics, sustainability, and creative industries, Ciudad del Saber supports entrepreneurship and innovation through incubation, acceleration, and business development programs.

The complex is also home to Panama's National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) and has been designated as the headquarters of the United Nations' first regional interagency hub, bringing together several UN agencies and programs serving Latin America and the Caribbean.

This unique concentration of institutions, businesses, and international organizations positions Ciudad del Saber as a strategic hub for regional cooperation, technological development, and innovation in Latin America.