Brazil and China are to increase cooperation in the areas of science and technology, with a succession of public and private agreements that are being launched, ranging from nanotechnology and satellites, to training scientists.
Under the terms of the “Science Without Borders,” programme, which aims to train Brazilian scientists abroad, almost 5,000 Brazilians will study in China by 2015, which is around a third of the scholarships to be provided, according to official figures issued recently by the Brazilian government.
With economic and trade relations increasing to the point where China is the biggest destination for Brazilian exports and new two-way investments announced almost every week, in June of this year the two countries raised the status of their relationship to Strategic Global Partnership.
The new status was recognised during an official visit by the Chinese prime minister to Brazil, on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Sustainable Development Conference.
The 10-year cooperation plan now launched outlines joint initiatives in science, technology, and innovation.
Recently, representatives from Brazil and China scheduled the launch of Cbers 3 (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite), which will be the fourth Chinese-Brazilian satellite launched by the space programme between the two countries.
The two countries also plan to work together to develop new technologies in the area of nanotechnology, following a visit to China by am official delegation including representatives of the technical and scientific commission of the Brazil-China Centre for Research and Innovation in Nanotechnology (CBC-Nano).
Long term research projects will be carried out in the fields of the environment, energy conservation and reducing emissions, new materials such as biomass for energy, functional materials such as sensors for health, as well as applying nanotechnology to agriculture and meteorology.
Alongside this, the virtual laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Brazil has officially opened in Brasilia during a ceremony held at Brazil’s Ministry for Agriculture, Livestock and Supplies.
Chinese and Brazilian companies have also got involved in joint projects, such as manufacturing latest generation organic medication as part of a technology transfer agreement.
The agreement, between EMS and two laboratories from Shanghai (Biomabs and Guojian), is part of Brazil’s efforts to develop its pharmaceutical industry and relieve Brazil’s high levels of dependency in this sector.
The first product resulting from the new partnership, which is expected to be manufactured in Brazil in 2014, is Etanercept, a drug that is mainly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, which affects around 850,000 Brazilians.
The agreement also includes setting up a technological platform and manufacturing a further five organic drugs. (macauhub)