CGEE discusses technological sovereignty and artificial intelligence at Fiocruz symposium.

The program brings together national and international experts to discuss innovation, immunobiologicals, and scientific cooperation in public health.

The Director of Strategic Projects and International Relations at CGEE, Caetano Penna, participated today (8) in the 10th International Symposium on Immunobiologicals, produced by the Bio-Manguinhos Institute, Fiocruz. The meeting includes the participation of specialists, researchers and representatives of national and international institutions to discuss innovation, technological development and strategic policies focused on the immunobiologicals sector. Among the objectives of the symposium are to promote scientific and technological development, strengthen collaborative research networks and integrate researchers with production and development institutions in biotechnology and public health.

The event's program features names such as the director of Studies and Sectoral Policies, Innovation, Regulation and Infrastructure at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), Fernanda De Negri; the senior scientific advisor of Bio-Manguinhos and emeritus researcher at Fiocruz, Akira Homma; and the senior researcher at Fiocruz, Margareth Dalcolmo.

In the presentation “Structural conditions for success”, Penna discussed the structural challenges for the implementation of the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA), especially in the areas of health, biotechnology and technological sovereignty.

Throughout the lecture, Penna differentiated between the concepts of "capacity" and "capability" in industrial policies. According to the presentation, "capacity" is related to existing infrastructure, human capital, and production base, while "capability" involves coordination between actors, strategic direction, and the capacity for continuous learning.

Penna also presented previous experiences of Brazilian industrial policies to demonstrate how initiatives that coordinate financing, production, and demand can strengthen national technological capabilities. Among the highlighted cases were the Joint Program to Support Agricultural Technological Innovation in the Sugar-Energy Sector (PAISS), associated with the success of second-generation ethanol, and the Inova Saúde program, focused on integrating financing instruments, production, and public procurement in the health sector.

The presentation also highlighted that Brazil already possesses consolidated capabilities in strategic sectors for the development of artificial intelligence, especially in health, medicine, chemistry, and biotechnology. Data presented by Penna indicate that the greatest concentration of Brazilian AI capacity is precisely in areas related to the health ecosystem.

Among the challenges identified for the success of PBIA, the director of CGEE highlighted the need to expand sovereign computing infrastructure, strengthen the training of qualified professionals, integrate actions between different ministries, and consolidate regulatory structures capable of transforming guidelines into effective operations.

In his presentation, Penna also described a prospective scenario for 2030 in which Brazilian researchers would use national artificial intelligence models and computational infrastructure installed in the country to develop antigens for vaccines.

Information about the event schedule can be found at: https://isi.bio.fiocruz.br/en/the-event/ .