MCTIC's Secretary for Technological Development and Innovation Alvaro Prata highlighted ongoing work with Norway on research in the areas of oil and gas and renewable energy and projects greater integration between Brazil and the European nation. "There is a great field to expand cooperation," he said.

A delegation from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), led by the secretary of Technological Development and Innovation, Alvaro Prata, participated in the last week of an official visit to Norway to strengthen Brazil's partnership with the European country, especially In the areas of oil and gas and renewable energy. There, the first meeting of the Working Group (GT) for Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation Brazil-Norway took place.

The bilateral partnership is already underway through a joint call between the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects (Finep) - an entity linked to MCTIC - and the Research Council of Norway (CRN). As a result, five projects involving small and medium-sized Brazilian and Norwegian companies were approved, focusing on the development of technological solutions for oil recovery and the development of environmental and sub-oceanic technologies.

"Brazil and Norway share a lot of interests. In addition to having large oil reserves, the two countries use large-scale hydroelectric plants to generate electricity and are increasingly investing in alternative sources of renewable energy such as solar and wind. There is, therefore, a great field to expand the cooperation, "said Secretary Alvaro Prata.

But the partnership can be extended to other fields of knowledge. Via teleconference, Andrei Polejack, the general coordinator of Oceans, Antarctica and Geosciences at MCTIC, presented proposals for cooperation in aquaculture and research in the Atlantic and Antarctic.

The WG meeting was agreed in September last year on a visit by Norway's Minister of Education and Research, Thor Björn Isaksen, to the MCTIC head, Gilberto Kassab, in Brasília, DF. At the time, they signed a joint statement expressing interest in increasing cooperation in science and technology and in defining areas of common interest.

In November, the Innovation Week of Norway takes place in Brazil. The event, still undetermined and defined places, will promote seminars on renewable energies and other topics of interest between both nations.

In addition to secretary Alvaro Prata, the Brazilian team was composed of the coordinator of International Cooperation of the MCTIC, Ana Lúcia Stival, and Henrique Vasquez, the substitute manager of Oil, Mining and Steel of the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep). The Brazilian ambassador to Norway, George Prata, and the future Norwegian ambassador to Brazil, Nils Gunneng, attended the meetings. On the Norwegian side, more than 20 representatives of the Ministries of Education and Research were present; Oil and Energy; And Trade, Industry and Fisheries; In addition to the Norwegian Research Council (RCN) and Innovation Norway.