Schavan opens German-Brazilian Year of Science, Technology and Innovation

"New collaborations strengthen innovation and growth", said Annette Schavan, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, after having opened the German-Brazilian Year of Science, Technology and Innovation together with her Brazilian counterpart Sérgio M. Rezende.

"Together with Brazil, we want to break new ground in our cooperation, particularly in promising fields of the natural sciences and technology," said Schavan. The aim is to strengthen relations by launching new projects and intensifying student and researcher exchanges.

Numerous science, education and research organisations in Germany and Brazil are organising bilateral conferences, workshops and exhibitions over the course of the year. With its slogan "sustainable: innovative", the project aims at presenting the excellence of both locations and provide new impetus for intensified cooperation.

Brazil is already one of Germany's most important partners in Latin America, not just economically, but also in the area of education and research. There are more than 230 university collaborations between the two countries, and more than 2,000 Brazilians are studying in Germany. More than 1,200 German companies are active in Brazil. "I am very pleased that we have a strong network to build on and that Germany and Brazil already enjoy intensive contacts," Schavan said.