Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation

Brazil has over 40 bilateral cooperation agreements in science, technology, and innovation (STI), in addition to addressing the topic in various regional and multilateral mechanisms and forums. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, progress in STI increasingly depends on collaboration between countries.

The formation of Brazil’s main STI institutions is linked to international collaboration. In the 1950s, the creation of institutions such as CNPq, CAPES, IMPA, CNEN, and ITA, for example, involved partnerships with the United States, France, and Germany. Today, these institutions continue to develop projects in cooperation with international partners.

The framework that guides STI activities in the Brazil is the National Strategy for Science, Technology, and Innovation (ENCTI 2016-2022). Based on ENCTI's guidelines, efforts are made to complement national capacities through international cooperation activities and projects.

In addition to traditional science and technology diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employs innovation diplomacy to help transform Brazil’s economic profile and foster the competitiveness of its industries, aiming to integrate the country into the most advanced global production chains. Innovation diplomacy recognizes the importance of government, academia, the private sector, and civil society (quadruple helix model) as key actors in the innovation process. It aims to bring these diverse sectors closer together to promote technology transfer, encourage the development of technology-based companies, attract research, development, and innovation projects, and create innovative solutions to tackle global challenges and to improve the living conditions of the Brazilian population.