Representatives from the State Secretariat for Economic Development (Sedec-RN), the State Civil Defense and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) visited the building that will house the Augusto Severo Science and Technology Park (PAX), in Macaíba, this Monday (21). The objective of the visit was to get to know the 15 thousand square meter area that will house the sustainable technology complex that aims to unite science, innovation and industry in Rio Grande do Norte, and to think about partnerships to improve aspects related to the infrastructure and operation of the enterprise. The delegation also visited the headquarters of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), one of the units of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), located on the land next to PAX. ISD is one of the partner institutions in the implementation of the project, which will house integrated solutions in the areas of Health, Renewable Energy and Industry 4.0.

“I had the opportunity to see the dream of ISD come to life, and at that time, many people did not believe that it would be possible to have a project like this in a rural area, outside of an urban center. Today, seeing the results, the testimonies and the actions of the institution, I can say that the future we envision for PAX is very similar to what we see at the institution,” said Ivan Max Freire, general coordinator of the Jundiaí Agricultural School, linked to UFRN. 

PAX is named after a Macaíba native who is internationally recognized for his contributions to global aviation: Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão. Inspired by the legacy of the creator of the Pax airship, which took flight in Paris in 1902, the Technology Park is designed to be an intelligent structure, integrated with the community and companies through the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Norte (Fiern) and the Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). In addition, startup accelerators will be part of the structure to operationalize products developed in the most diverse lines of research at ISD, which focuses on maternal and child health and the health of people with disabilities. 

The deputy coordinator of the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Norte, Dalchem Viana, accompanied the delegation on the visit. The department recently signed an agreement with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte to implement technologies related to disaster prevention, so that the state will have a Center for Studies and Research on Disasters in the future. “These centers already exist in other states, but we do not have one in the Northeast region. This development of technologies that focus on the social area is directly in our interest, and we are very happy to learn more about the work that is done here,” he said. According to him, the creation of technologies and solutions that can assist, for example, in the actions of the Civil Defense specifically aimed at the disabled population is one of the areas of interest of the department. “This is a population for whom we pay special attention when it comes to disaster prevention and the creation of procedures, so this is very important work,” he stressed. 

The current structure is expected to undergo renovations to its electrical and hydraulic structures. The services should be ready in the second half of 2022, and are under the responsibility of the State Government, to whom the land where PAX is located was ceded by UFRN in 2021.