Representatives from the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) participated, this Monday (3), in the technical visit carried out by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) to the Augusto Severo Science and Technology Park (PAX), in Macaíba. The official delegation included the general director of ISD, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, the manager of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), Edgard Morya, and the research professor Gabriel Vasiljevic.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Luciana Santos, the Governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra, and other local authorities. Representatives from universities, research centers, funding agencies, and technology companies also participated.
The technical visit was led by the president of the PAX Board of Directors, Ângela Maria Paiva Cruz, who reinforced the Science Park's vocation for scientific promotion. In her speech, the researcher emphasized the important partnership between PAX and ISD for the development of new technological solutions in strategic areas for national development.
“The Santos Dumont Institute is where we want to be. We are neighbors and we look to the ISD as a reference, as a place that plays an important social role through science,” Angela emphasized.
The Santos Dumont Institute is one of the founding institutions and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Augusto Severo Science and Technology Park. The proximity between ISD and PAX is also physical, since both occupy the same technological district in Macaíba.
During the technical visit, the general director of ISD, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, presented the main actions developed by the Institute in the areas of neuroscience, neuroengineering, maternal and child health, and the health of people with disabilities. Furthermore, he highlighted the strategic potential that ISD and PAX play in regional scientific innovation.
“The main purpose of an institution like ISD is to contribute to the formation of an ecosystem of human and social development mediated by education, science, technology, and innovation. The results achieved so far show that we are on the right track. PAX is aligned with this purpose and integrates this ecosystem. Partnerships like this leverage mutual strengthening,” stated Reginaldo.
In her speech, Minister Luciana Santos acknowledged the efforts made by PAX to promote scientific development in Rio Grande do Norte, reinforcing the Park's role in transforming the local reality.
The governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra, emphasized that PAX is "one of the most innovative and challenging projects in our state."
The rector of UFRN, Daniel Diniz, highlighted the unity of the PAX partner institutions, through government agencies, academia, and the private sector. "This Park is of inestimable importance because it involves institutions committed to transforming innovation into deliverables for the population," he said.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization of the Federal Executive Branch, supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the intervention of the Ministry of Sport. It encompasses the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, both located in Macaíba. The ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research, and outreach activities, as well as contributing to a more just and humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
