The recognition ceremony of the Center of Excellence in Ocean Innovation and Transformative Technologies of the University of São Paulo (Inova Oceano – Unesco Chair for Ocean Sustainability) was held on Tuesday, December 3, as a member of the network of Centers of Excellence of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Transformative Technologies.
Established in 2019 through an agreement between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and USP, the Chair has the Institute for Advanced Studies (IEA) and the Institute of Oceanography (IO) as responsible for its activities and management. There are also four partner institutions: the Coordination of Ocean Sciences of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication; the Brazilian Future Ocean Panel (Mar Panel); the Brazilian Coastal Benthic Habitats Monitoring (ReBentos); and SOS Mata Atlântica.
The purpose of the initiative is to bring together people and efforts from various national and international institutions to advance the ocean agenda and foster integrated and interdisciplinary research, technological development, innovation, ocean literacy and decision-making for ocean sustainability and thus promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation on the subject. The perspective is that it facilitates collaboration between internationally recognized researchers and those from USP, as well as from other Brazilian institutions and from other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The formalization of the center should expand and strengthen regional cooperation in scientific, technological and innovation development in the Americas, with the ocean as a connector of different approaches. The center should also contribute to the efforts that the University has been implementing in the development of ocean sciences, such as the Oceanic Pillar established at the International Research Center (IRC) of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) of USP. The OAS Center and the IRC Ocean Pillar will have a convergent agenda planned and implemented in synergy.
At the center’s recognition ceremony, President Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Júnior highlighted the importance that the subject has for USP: “We are highly committed to the UN’s objectives related to issues related to climate change and sustainability. In this context, we have an important mission to protect the oceans, which is part of this commitment, and now we have a strong collaboration between USP, CNRS, Research Support Foundation of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP), OAS and São Paulo legislators, through the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo (Alesp), in a unique situation that favors actions to protect the oceans and boosts our collaboration with private companies and with public policies aimed at the oceans. We still need to work hard and there is much to be done, but we have a favorable situation created with this collaboration and with everyone working together with the aim of increasing our knowledge about the ocean, about how to protect it and how to work with this space. In some years, we will certainly have very relevant results ”.
“I feel great satisfaction to see this renowned institution open its doors to receive this center and know that it is being hosted in Brazil by a leader in ocean research. This initiative demonstrates its ability to bring innovative projects from around the world to share and develop solutions aimed at the challenges we face today. We are confident that, by becoming an OAS center of excellence, USP will become a regional reference for the countries of the Americas and the hemisphere. We believe that science, technology and innovation lead us to sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth,” said the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Kim Osborne, in an online participation.
The holder of the Chair, Alexander Turra, who is a professor at IO, celebrated: “This is a very important moment, not only for USP, but for the oceans. Having this opportunity, of an institutional arrangement aimed at enabling high-level research focused on this theme, allows us to think about the ocean and its relationship with the solution of global problems much more broadly and effectively. A valuable move, uniting USP, Alesp, FAPESP and CNRS, shows the commitment to the importance of the ocean and will allow us to move forward together towards a more sustainable future. The launch of this center will give us very strong conditions to face the challenges we have on the planet with the crises of poverty, climate, biodiversity and pollution, which have been causing serious consequences. ”
For the president of Fapesp, Marco Antonio Zago, the new center reflects São Paulo’s protagonism in oceanic research: “Unesco declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the Decade of the Ocean. The different approaches to protecting the oceans depend on and derive from scientific research, and Fapesp is one of the largest supporters of these studies in Brazil. More than a third of the research carried out in the country on the subject originates in the State of São Paulo, in a volume equivalent to all Argentine production, almost all included in our institution’s funding lines. ”
“In a country like ours, with such a large coastline, we need to pay more attention to the oceans and how we can innovate and use resources to protect what we have. We also need to disseminate all the knowledge that has been developed here at USP, especially by Professor Turra, and move forward, as there is still a lot of work waiting and many discoveries to be made. Let’s work together to achieve what we need to succeed,” said IEA Director Roseli de Deus Lopes.
The event was also attended by Ambassador Benoni Belli, permanent representative of the Brazilian Mission to the OAS, and several academic authorities, representatives of the Brazilian Navy and international researchers.
Seminar on Oceans and Sustainable Development
The ceremony was part of the program of the Seminar on Ocean Innovation and Transformative Technologies, held by the IEA, from December 3 to 5, with the proposal of expanding the discussions and actions to face the planetary crises thinking about the ocean as a central protagonist for sustainable development.
Over three days, dozens of researchers and representatives of public and private institutions participated in panels and roundtables that addressed topics such as Declaration of Human Rights in the Ocean; The Americas Prospect Network of Centers of Excellence and the Ocean; Pillars of the USP/CNRS International Research Center and the Ocean; OAS Center of Excellence in Ocean Innovation and Transformative Technologies – General Framework and Strategies; The contribution of the University of São Paulo to the innovation ecosystem and the role of the Center of Excellence in Ocean Innovation and Transformative Technologies; The innovation ecosystem and the role of the Center of Excellence in Ocean Innovation and Transformative Technologies; and Lessons learned from OAS Centers in Transformative Technologies, among others.
The complete broadcast schedule and recording can be found here.
