PCT Guamá hosts rectors from Andifes to learn about sustainable innovation projects
The National Association of Directors of Federal Institutions of Higher Education represents all Brazilian federal universities, both in Brazil and abroad
The Science and Technology Park (PCT) Guamá received, this Friday (26), the visit of rectors linked to the National Association of Directors of Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Andifes). The activity was part of the complementary program of the 207th Ordinary Meeting of the Full Council of the entity, held in Belém from September 24 to 25.
The presence of Andifes at PCT Guamá reinforces the importance of dialogue between universities, federal institutes, and innovation environments for the preservation of the Amazon and the strengthening of national science, at a strategic moment of preparation for COP30, which will take place in Belém in November 2025. According to Renato Francês, technical director of the Guamá Foundation, the institution of science and technology that manages the Park, "PCT Guamá is the first technological park in the Amazon, bringing together 13 laboratories and innovation partners to transform regional challenges into global solutions, strengthening science, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development."
The rector of UFPA, Gilmar Silva, highlighted the importance of the Pará ecosystem. “This is an important park, which has the partnership of the State Government and the federal public universities of Pará. We are very happy to present this space, which seeks to understand, work, and produce solutions for the Amazon. It is a pleasure to welcome the rectors who participated in the Andifes meeting, a relevant gathering that brought together more than 50 leaders from federal universities across Brazil.”
The agenda at the Park began with an institutional presentation led by the technical director of the Foundation. Subsequently, the rectors participated in a technical visit to two resident laboratories of PCT Guamá, the Center for the Valorization of Bioactive Compounds of the Amazon (CVACBA), a reference in research focused on bioeconomy, and the Supercritical Technology Laboratory (Labtecs), which develops sustainable industrial processes. Both are linked to the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).
For Professor Jones Goettert, rector of the University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), "The visit of Andifes to PCT Guamá reinforces the union between science, education, and national sovereignty, valuing the training of new researchers and the integration between teaching and research as a path to a fairer and more sustainable Brazil."
Professor Nildo Dias, vice-rector of the Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid (Ufersa), emphasized that "The visit to PCT Guamá inspires the creation of a technological park in the semi-arid region, showing that the knowledge developed in the Amazon can dialogue with the Caatinga, strengthening science, innovation, and development adapted to each reality."
The 207th Ordinary Meeting of the Full Council of Andifes began on the 24th at the Convent of the Mercedarians of UFPA, with an official opening and a panel on universities and biomes. On the 25th, at the University Rectory, the agenda included topics such as the National Education Data Policy, the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, the certification of teaching hospitals, good practices in energy efficiency, and the election of the Fiscal Council.
Andifes - Founded in 1989, the National Association of Directors of Federal Institutions of Higher Education represents all Brazilian federal universities, both in Brazil and abroad. Its purpose is to defend and strengthen public higher education, promote integration among institutions, articulate teaching, research, and extension policies, and act as an interlocutor with public authorities and society.
Reference in innovation in the Amazon
The Science and Technology Park (PCT) Guamá is an initiative of the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher, Professional and Technological Education (Sectet), in partnership with the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (Ufra), and managed by the Guamá Foundation.
It is the first technological park in the Northern region of Brazil, aiming to stimulate applied research and innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship, in order to improve the quality of life of the population.
Located on the banks of the Guamá River, which gives its name to the complex, the PCT is situated between the campuses of the two universities and has an ecosystem rich in biodiversity, extending over 72 hectares, designated for buildings and the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of the Metropolitan Region of Belém.
The complex has more than 90 companies among residents and associates, 17 laboratories with over 400 researchers, 44 patents, and a technical school.
PCT Guamá is part of the National Association of Promoters of Innovative Enterprises (Anprotec) and the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (Iasp), and is part of the largest innovation ecosystem in the world.
