Switzerland’s contribution to science, technology and innovation since Brazil’s Independence

As part of celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Brazil’s independence, the SC Office in Brasilia organized various events to illustrate Switzerland’s positive influence on the Brazilian ERI sector in the past 200 years. Taking pride of place was an immersive digital exhibition in the Embassy grounds that recognized the contribution of famous Swiss researchers. Other events included a breakfast seminar attended by renowned Swiss researcher and creator of syntrophic farming Ernst Göetsch and the Brazilian agro-parliamentary group, agricultural attachés and journalists. Another valuable contribution was a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to discuss syntrophic farming in the context of food security and how innovative Swiss solutions can help.

The objective was to strengthen the perception of Switzerland as a leading ERI location among Brazilian ERI stakeholders, scientific partners, science diplomats and the public and to generate intense interest in partnerships with the various bilateral ERI programs.

Public feedback and media coverage (cf. Embassy News, Diplomacia Business, Brasilia in Foco, Portal R10, and Blog do Mangnani) were all very positive. Switzerland’s reputation for innovation remains a much-discussed a topic in Brazilian academic and diplomatic circles, as well as among public influencers. The exhibition was repeated in two other cities, Florianopolis and Fortaleza, and attracted significant numbers of visitors.