5th Southern Regional Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation discusses Justice, Sustainability and Development in Curitiba

The 5th Southern Regional Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation came to a successful close on Friday, bringing together more than 450 participants from higher education institutions and representatives of the productive sector in the southern region. The event, promoted by the Government of Paraná, had as its theme Justice, Sustainability and Development, and discussed proposals for a new National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation.

During two days of intense programming at the UTFPR campus in Curitiba, participants debated five strategic axes for Brazilian science, including reindustrialization, support for business innovation, social development, popularization of science and expansion of the National Science, Technology and Innovation System.

Paraná's State Secretary for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Aldo Nelson Bona, emphasized the potential of the southern region for the country's scientific progress and the importance of an inclusive policy aimed at economic and social development.

Several proposals were discussed, including valuing researchers, including young people, environmental preservation and promoting science as a tool to tackle climate change. The event also featured the presentation of the National Youth Report, which points out essential actions for education, such as the creation of laboratories in public schools and support for students to remain in undergraduate studies.

The conference was coordinated by the Paraná Secretariat for Science, Technology and Higher Education, in partnership with the governments of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, and was supported by the Secretariat for Innovation, Modernization and Digital Transformation, the Araucária Foundation and UTFPR. The regional event will serve as a basis for the national conference to be held in Brasilia in June, culminating in the drafting of a new National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for the coming years.