University of São Paulo: InovaUSP and Volkswagen establish a partnership to drive innovation
March 22, the USP Innovation Center (InovaUSP) and Volkswagen do Brasil signed a memorandum of understanding with the objective of establishing the technical, economic and contractual guidelines and premises for the development of joint projects.
“What will characterize universities in the coming years will not be the number of works published, but the impact that the University has on society. The metric that we need to internalize is to respond to society’s desires. Therefore, two of the important themes that differentiate this rector’s management are sustainability and innovation”, highlighted rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior.
For the executive president of Volkswagen Latin America, Pablo Di Si, “this partnership is in Volkswagen’s DNA because we have a lot of knowledge in making vehicles and this is the house of knowledge. Knowledge is fundamental so that, increasingly, we have a relevant role in this new world”.
At first, the partnership will prioritize projects focused on three priority themes: the development of software for various automotive applications; the development of semiconductors, their production chain and technical details involving their composition; and the development of solutions involving ethanol engines, with the objective of studying the potential for reducing consumption and CO 2 emissions .
“Universities have an important contribution to make as partners in the construction of innovative solutions based on science and in the adoption of open platforms that provide employment, local quality of life and sustainability. The signing of this memorandum marks a new phase in the relationship between USP and Volkswagen, which will now unite multidisciplinary Research and Development efforts in strategic areas, aiming at innovations with global impact”, said InovaUSP coordinator Marcelo Knörich Zuffo.
InovaUSP is a space created to aggregate and integrate laboratories and various initiatives in a multidisciplinary environment dedicated to the development of research and innovation. It is a multi-user space formed by independent research laboratories from the university units that develop interdisciplinary collaborative activities.