For Itaipu and PTI, to support the development of smart cities technlogies helps to diversify the local economy, generating employment and income. Photos: Rodrigo Sodré/Istreamingstudio
Support for the development of smart cities in Brazil was the main theme discussed at the event “Democratization of access to technology-based infrastructure for smart cities: the smart neighborhood fostering entrepreneurship”, promoted by LIDE – Entrepreneurial Leaders Group e Parque Tecnológico Itaipu (PTI), with the support of Itaipu Binacional, at Expo 2020 Dubai. The event in the United Arab Emirates runs until March 31.
Itaipu and PTI presented the pioneer neighborhood experience Vila A Inteligente, the first sandbox in the country, which is the name given to an urban space used for testing and validation of smart city technologies. These technologies are aimed at improving public services and the population’s quality of life, such as intelligent traffic lights, water and electricity saving, autonomous vehicles, among others.
As entrepreneurs do not often have access to real situations to test their innovations, the Vila A Inteligente sandbox, which also has a partnership with the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the Municipality of Foz do Iguaçu (PR), facilitates this space.
“Itaipu and the PTI have sought to foster technology-based companies to diversify the economy of the Foz region, generating employment and income,” said Itaipu’s Director of Coordination, Luiz Felipe Carbonell, at the opening of the event.
Today, there are already 15 national companies testing their technologies in Vila A. Foz’s experience served as a reference for Recife, represented at the event by its secretary of Economic Development, Technology and Innovation, Rafael Dubeux. He presented the results of Porto Digital, a hub that employs 15,000 people with an annual revenue of R$ 3 billion and that has been increasingly dedicated to the development of solutions for smart cities.
The event also discussed the legal challenges the industry faces. According to the lawyer Marcelo Bertoldi, the Legal Framework of Startups and the recently approved Science, Technology and Innovation Framework should give more security to public managers to facilitate new projects in this area. He adds that there is also potential to advance in platforms that allow the direct participation of citizens, guiding local governments.
Also participating in the debate were the executive secretary of Business Development of the State of Pernambuco, Roberto de Abreu e Lima Almeida, the director of Business and Innovation of PTI, Rodrigo Régis, and the president of LIDE Paraná, Heloísa Garret, who acted as a mediator.
Approach
Earlier, LIDE promoted a side event that also included the participation of Itaipu and PTI, with the objective of presenting investment opportunities in the United Arab Emirates. The event was attended by the Brazilian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Fernando Igreja, who outlined a timeline of the rapprochement between Brazil and the UAE that are increasingly building a favorable environment for business between the two countries.
Itaipu at Expo
Itaipu participates in Expo 2020 Dubai at the invitation of the federal government. The company has prepared a series of attractions that use state-of-the-art interactive technologies to show the interconnections between water, biodiversity, climate and energy, also focusing on projects aimed at the sustainability of the border region between Brazil and Paraguay, with emphasis on the preservation of more than 100 thousand hectares of Atlantic Forest, recognized as a Biosphere Reserve.
