24/03/16

Text and photos: Ariane Mondo – Ascom ISD

The capital of Rio Grande do Norte has been attracting the attention of experts in innovation and the articulation of partnerships between public and private sectors. After several visits to Brazil, the coordinator of the European Commission for Smart and Human Cities, Álvaro de Oliveira, said publicly that “Natal is the most articulated capital to be intelligent and human in all of Brazil” and even mentioned two units of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) as examples of innovation (subject HERE). During visits to the city, in September and November 2015, he went to the ISD units located in Macaíba and Natal and was impressed with the innovations and methodologies developed at the Institute (article about the visit to the Macaíba units HERE).

On March 9, 2016, managers of the Municipal Planning Secretariat (SEMPLA) met with representatives of Science Education Centers (CECs) to mediate a proposal to expand the partnership between Natal City Hall and CEC Escola Alfredo J. Monteverde Natal unit, this time linked to the project context Smart and Human Cities. The director of the Scientific Education Centers, Dora Montenegro, and the coordinator of CEC Natal Walter Romero Jr., talked to Alexandre Duarte It is Ana Cristina de Medeiros, from SEMPLA, and explained that one of the focuses of the CECs' proposal is to develop conditions so that, in the teaching and learning processes, all students feel encouraged to find their own way of learning, which is seen as innovation in the context Brazilian education. Dora added: “Once the student understands the importance of knowledge for their life and acquires the ability to learn on their own, they continue to study for sure.”

Alexandre explained the so-called “innovation ecosystem” found in Natal and also in the ISD units by Álvaro de Oliveira: “It is the presence of several institutions working together or not, with the capacity to promote research and innovation, in addition to improving the quality of teaching. There are institutions that already have in their missions the desire to grow, develop, expand horizons, with innovation initiatives, such as laboratories and incubators”.

Regarding the proposal to include the model of activities developed in the CECs as an action to be considered in the context of the Smart and Human Cities project in Natal, Dora states: “the dissemination and exchange of experiences about the work developed in the Scientific Education Centers are means of enabling the dissemination and popularization of science teaching, fundamental elements of social inclusion”.

Smart and Human Cities

There are currently 75 smart and human cities in Europe. According to Alexandre Duarte, from SEMPLA, Natal has the potential to emerge in a short time in this scenario, at a level very close to the cities there, thanks to the so-called “innovation ecosystem”. In Natal, the coordination of actions and local partners in the context of the Smart and Human Cities project is carried out by the City Hall, via SEMPLA, together with UFRN, via Instituto Metrópole Digital (IMD). The main goal of the project described on the official website is “to bring together researchers and professionals with extensive theoretical and practical experience in areas such as computer science, engineering and social sciences. The integration of these areas is the scientific and technological basis of current and future smart city projects. As a product, the aim is to design and develop a set of methods, techniques and tools that seek to support the planning, development and implementation of smart cities. Smart Cities are promoting a new paradigm in information and communications technology to transform their systems, operations and service delivery into a truly integrated, intelligent and human approach.”

More about Santos Dumont Institute: https://www.institutosantosdumont.org.br/institucional/

More about Science Education Centers: Natal and Macaíba (RN) | Serrinha (BA)

More about the project Smart and Human Cities In Natal: http://smartmetropolis.imd.ufrn.br/