The meeting brought Brazilian and Dutch research groups closer and paved the way for joint projects.
On December 9, the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI) welcomed a delegation from the University of Groningen (UG) for a day of institutional presentations, scientific discussions, and individual meetings among researchers, enabling the exploration of potential collaborations. The program also included a dedicated activity for students interested in academic opportunities at the Dutch institution.
The activities began with a plenary session presenting the institutional overviews of UG, RCGI, and the Polytechnic School. Representing UG were the Rector of the University of Groningen, Professor Jacquelien Scherpen; Professor Bayu Jayawardhana, Director of the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG); and Professors Michele Cucuzzella, Sebastian Wenk, and Lorenzo Squintani, as well as Liza Ten Velde, Coordinator of International Agreements for the Faculty of Engineering.
From USP, the Scientific Director, Julio Meneghini, and the Director of Human Resources and Institutional Communication, Karen Mascarenhas, were present. The Polytechnic School was represented by Marcio Lobo Netto, President of CRInt, and Gilberto de Souza, member of the Research Committee and future Vice-Dean of Poli. The session also included faculty members and researchers from different USP units, who followed the discussions throughout the morning.
In his presentation, Professor Bayu Jayawardhana revisited the history of engineering at the University of Groningen, highlighting that the institution was one of the pioneers in engineering education in the region and holds a historical legacy that includes, for example, the development of one of the world’s first electric vehicles, in 1834. He also emphasized that engineering at UG is developed in close integration with other scientific fields—such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and molecular biology—enabling projects of high technical and interdisciplinary complexity.
Jayawardhana further explained that the university maintains four interdisciplinary schools that bring together researchers from different faculties to address strategic themes: energy and climate; digital technology and artificial intelligence; sustainable development; and public health. He then presented ENTEG, the institute he leads, which is responsible for research in three main areas: mechanical, materials, and robotics engineering; systems and control; and sustainable chemical engineering and biotechnology. Throughout his presentation, he showcased examples of projects developed in these domains, ranging from advanced instrumentation, robotics, and autonomous systems to biotechnological processes and applications focused on the energy transition.
RCGI Scientific Director Julio Meneghini, in turn, presented an overview of the center’s current scale. He emphasized that RCGI’s mission is to contribute to the country’s energy transition, supporting Brazil in meeting its emissions reduction targets and in developing technologies aligned with this process.
When detailing the center’s structure, Meneghini highlighted that RCGI brings together more than 800 researchers and 30 associated laboratories, maintains 60 active research projects, and has an extensive scientific output, with more than 5,000 articles published in journals and conference proceedings. He also emphasized the portfolio of filed patents, awards received, and expanding international collaborations, factors that reinforce RCGI’s role as one of the country’s leading research hubs in energy transition.
Meneghini pointed out the alignment between the research lines of the two institutions. “I see many areas where we can collaborate, well beyond hydrogen,” he stated. “In areas such as control and fluid flow, for example, we have a direct affinity. It is an opportunity to build something larger than an isolated project.”
Mascarenhas highlighted the interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing the presence and participation of researchers not only from technological fields, but also from regulation, standardization, economics, and social perception.