They saw the laboratories used by the researchers, attended lectures, and made recommendations regarding how to involve smaller institutions in the Centre’s research efforts
Last Friday, October 5, representatives of the National Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANP) and Shell visited the Research Centre for Gas Innovation (RCGI), where they learned more about the Centre’s work, some of its laboratories, and research projects. Representing the ANP were Alfredo Renault, Superintendent of Research and Development, and José Carlos Tigre, the agency’s R&D Technical Counsel. Representing Shell were Alexandre Breda, Scientific Technical Coordinator; Jane Zhang, General Manager of Technology for Brazil; Flavio Rodrigues, Manager of Government Relations; Regis Assao, Manager of Partnerships; and Mariana Marques, Counsel for Regulatory Affairs.
“The objective of the visit was to show our guests what is done with the money of the so-called Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) Clause, which mandates that companies make RD&I investments in both concession and distribution contracts. We showed some of the results in the form of articles published or in the process of being published; measurements made by the researchers who work with combustion; and books from the RCGI/USP/Synergia collection. The visitors also saw equipment acquired with funds from the RD&I Clause, from Shell. They were quite happy with it all,” stated the RCGI’s Deputy Scientific Director, Bruno Carmo, who was one of the professors guiding the group.
The visitors were welcomed by Professors Gustavo Assi, Emilio Carlos Silva, Guenther Krieger Filho, Rita Maria Brito Alves, and Hirdan Costa – all of whom are members of the RCGI team, as well as Tiago Lopes, from the Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN), and Antonio Mauro Saraiva, who represented USP’s Provost for Research, Sylvio Roberto Accioly Canuto. The Research Support Fund of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) was represented by Professor Hernan Chaimovich.
During the morning, Antonio Mauro Saraiva listed the challenges of USP’s Office of the Provost for Research; Alexandre Breda spoke at length about the subject of technology, from Shell’s perspective; Carmo presented the RCGI, Gustavo Assi spoke about the initiatives for disseminating the Centre’s knowledge. Following that session, they visited the Laboratory of the Fluid Dynamics Center (NDF), the Advanced Combustion Laboratory, the Center for Chemical Systems Studies (CESQ), and the IPEN’s Center for Fuel and Hydrogen Cells.
According to Carmo, one of the recommendations made by Alfredo Renault was that the Centre should also attempt to involve smaller institutions from other parts of the country.
“The ANP representative explained that, at first, the money would be used more democratically if it were applied through initiatives spread throughout Brazil. However, not all of the institutions are not capable of becoming or hosting innovation centers, which is what is expected to happen. Therefore, the ANP suggests that institutions that have this calling take on the mission of tutoring, calling in other universities and smaller institutions, and involving them in the projects.”