Establishing a net-zero energy market will depend on developing technologies that demand top-level knowledge – Shell executive at RCGI event
There is no doubt that technological innovation will be basic to energy transition, in order to deal with climate change. In light of the demand for increasing the availability of energy having net-zero qualifications, high-tech startups, also called deep techs, have fundamental role to play. What is missing is structuring a better supporting ecosystem for doctoral and post-doctoral projects — which is a segment where most of the academic innovations are found. These were some of the conclusions of a series of activities (lectures, cases, and panel discussions) on how to do business with high technology, on October 27, during the annual conference of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Greenhouse Gases (RCGI).
One of the points raised at the event was that companies play a relevant role in the use of deep tech. “São Paulo, for example, has several funds available, angel capital, seed capital, but the focus is usually on fintechs or service-providing startups, which usually provide quicker returns on investment. Very few are interested in high technology,” stated Carolina Rio, Project Manager of the Low Carbon group of Shell in Brazil. According to her, the company sees huge value in these companies, because energy transition depends on the development of new technologies. “Shell seeks to bring the startups into its projects; it makes more sense to invest in the beginning of a technology, because the risk is lower. These are usually medium- and long-term projects,” she said.
She reminds that it is very difficult for a deep tech company to develop the technology all on its own. “It is necessary to have a robust technological base, in order to take technology to the market place. However, the investment by the company only makes sense if the technology adds value,” Rio emphasized. From a broader standpoint, the decarbonization of the sector will only be possible, as she sees it, with the involvement of the triple helix: academe, government and companies.
Incubators for startups – A deep tech company requires a lot of knowledge and universities are the place to find that. Shell, for example, is investing US$ 200 million in innovation this year, where 50% of its projects are carried out in partnerships with universities. “In the knowledge economy, society needs universities more than ever before,” said USP’s Adjunct Dean of Innovation, Raul Gonzalez Lima.
According to him, USP is being challenged to increase the number of foundations, incubators, and courses focusing on fomenting innovation. One new thing is the creation of an innovation residency, by which post-doctoral candidates will have broad-based support for leveraging their technology. Another is the creation of an office that will bring legal security to professors who are partners of startups, who are also essential to the process.
Research centers, like the RCGI, because they are seen as catalysts in the process of generating startups, because they are multidisciplinary in nature and focused on innovation. “I believe that one of the functions of my area is to identify talented persons and projects that have the potential of becoming startups,” said Gustavo Assi, Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer of the RCGI.
When to provide capacitation – The fact is that doing business requires specific knowledge. How transform research into a business and where to gain funding are issues that generally are not the main concern of scientists. But when is the best time for teaching ness skills? According to Lima, USP has around 250 disciplines dealing with entrepreneurism. “There is an ongoing discussion as to whether or not it is truly worth it to weigh bachelor-level students with this type of content,” he said. “We’re talking high tech, here, which is a level of knowledge that requires at least a PhD or post-PhD. We need to capacitate those who are at this level of knowledge,” Assi emphasized.
This capacity is essential for “turning the key of scientists, in terms of understanding that their research projects need to make an impact on the market and to be economically viable. “I was so afraid of becoming a sales person, but later I saw that doing business means always dealing with new problems, just as in science,” said Maitê Gothe, of the Carbonic startup. “We go from being scientists to delivering solutions, transforming science into technology,” added Dagoberto Silva, of MOF Tech. Both startups were generated within the scope of RCGI projects supported by Shell. Carbonic seeks to transform CO2 into methanol, which has a worldwide demand of 98 million tons/year. MOF Tech wants to produce MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks) for the recuperation of degraded soils and optimizing the capture of CO2 by the soil.