Supporting the co-creation of opportunities to address the problems and challenges of missions in the Amazon was Fundo Vale’s intention as a sponsor and participant in this event, held at the University of São Paulo’s Center for Research and Innovation (Inova USP).
Photos: Sofia Colucci
The 1st Brazilian Forum on Mission-Driven Innovation was held in São Paulo on October 31, 2023, by World-Transforming Technologies (WTT) and the University of São Paulo’s Innovation Agency, sponsored by Fundo Vale. The event, hosted by the University of São Paulo’s Center for Research and Innovation (Inova USP), was designed to enhance and disseminate the practice of mission-driven innovation in Brazil, while Fundo Vale supported the co-creation of opportunities in light of missions’ problems and challenges in the Amazon.
“We were able to connect with local actors in the Amazon, bringing them to the forefront of the discussion of problems and possible solutions,”
said Rodrigo Araújo, innovation officer at Fundo Vale.
According to André Wongtschowski, WTT’s innovation director, Brazil is going through an interesting time of renewed public investment in technical innovation and the reconstruction of technical and innovation-based science policies. “This mission-oriented innovation approach proposes a methodological consensus on how public policy can be directed to solve major problems in society, using innovation as an instrument to do so,” he said.
One of the most valuable aspects of the forum was the presence and engagement of representatives of different sectors, organizations and contexts.
“Bringing together all the players around the same table, including those from different regions of Brazil, was very enriching. We were able to get representatives of civil society to talk on an equal footing with representatives of government spheres and people who are responsible for some of Brazil’s largest universities, thinking about solutions,” said Luana Moraes, senior consultant at the IDB Lab’s Discovery Unit.
