Irish universities join forces with Brazil

A consortium of Irish universities is developing links with Brazil to promote Ireland’s scientific and technological co-operation.

The grouping is led by Dublin City University (DCU) and includes University College Cork, Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin, amongst others. It is hoped the consortium will promote Ireland’s scientific and technological reputation in Brazil as well as highlight the country’s attractiveness as an international research partner.

Professor Alan Harvey, vice president for research and innovation at DCU, welcomed the opportunity, commenting: “The consortium will facilitate a coherent national approach to capitalise on the opportunities currently offered for research funding by the Brazilian government.  It will allow the partners to benefit from each other’s existing links in Brazil and to create a critical mass not achievable by individual institutions in our engagement with industry and key high education institutions in Brazil.”

Collaboration in research and education will focus on ICT; environmental science and technologies; nanotechnology; biotechnology; and energy. Funding worth €550,000 is being provided by Science Foundation Ireland, which has designated Brazil as a priority country for research and education partnerships.

Workshops will be held in Brazil and Ireland to identify areas of collaboration alongside potential industry partners in both countries, with the aim of building consortia within the framework of Horizon 2020.  DCU recently developed research consortiums in China and India.