As part of the UK-Brazil Newton Fund programme, Innovate UK and Brazil’s Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC) are running the Urban Innovation in Brazil competition, aimed at businesses that have innovative solutions to target urban issues.
Companies are invited to submit proposals under the following challenge areas, with corresponding areas of potential technological solutions:
- Integration and governance of systems within a city
- Urban infrastructure and affordable, smart mobility
- Sustainable urban environments
To help UK and Brazilian participants interested in this competition to meet and develop collaborative partnerships, the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Foreign & Commonwealth Office Brazil, on behalf of Innovate UK and the Brazilian government, are organising a visit for UK stakeholders to Brazil during the tentative dates between Saturday 21st to Friday 27 January 2017, inclusive of travel time.
The aim of the trip will be to introduce successful candidates to potential Brazilian partners, and take forward discussions on collaborations. It will also focus on the challenges that Brazil faces first-hand and the context of what it means to work with counterparts in the country.
The visit will most likely consist of:
- Brokering event(s) where UK and Brazilian companies, research organisations and others can showcase their capabilities and areas of project interest.
- Introductory event(s) for UK stakeholders on the innovation, social and investment landscape in Brazil, and Brazilian companies on the innovation and investment landscape in the UK
- Visit(s) to key Brazilian organisations and/or projects that reflects the challenges and opportunities the competition is attempting to address.
The competition specifies that the UK project lead must be a business and so companies will be given priority in the visit application process. However, the competition also allows UK academic institutions, other research organisations, public sector bodies and charities undertaking research activity in the UK to form part of the consortia.
Successful applicants will be expected to pay a £500 contribution towards the cost of the visit, primarily to cover flights and accommodation. This will be required to be paid before the visit takes place.
For full details of the competition, you can visit the Innovate UK competition page.
