Brazil hosts the first edition of the Babbage Forum in Latin America.

Daniel Lebre /Ascom CGEE

Founded at the University of Cambridge, this international group discusses industrial innovation policies in different regions of the world; the Brazilian edition focuses on Latin America.

Academics, managers and specialists in industrial public policies participated today (28) in the 1st edition of the Babbage Forum in Latin America. The meeting is organized by the Center for Management and Strategic Studies (CGEE) and takes place at the headquarters of the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects (Finep), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The initiative also has the support of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The meeting aims to assess the challenges and opportunities of industrial innovation policies in the region. Founded at the University of Cambridge, England, the Babbage Forum is an international initiative that promotes meetings in different parts of the world to develop practical and more integrated bases for the formulation of industrial innovation policies, based on economics, engineering, and management. This is the first time the forum has held an edition in Latin America. The event brings together an international group of renowned experts in these areas.

The meeting was opened by the president of the Babbage Forum , Professor Mike Gregory, and also included the participation of the director of Strategic Projects and International Relations at CGEE, Caetano Penna; the president of Finep, Luiz Antônio Rodrigues Elias; and the director of the ECLAC office in Brazil, Camila Gramkow.

The director of the Center highlighted the importance of holding the forum in the region. “It is a great pleasure to host this meeting and hold the first edition of the Babbage Forum in Latin America. We hope this will be the beginning of a very productive dialogue and the construction of a regional network focused on the exchange of experiences, the sharing of knowledge, and the strengthening of industrial innovation policies,” he stated.

Penna also highlighted the international and collaborative nature of the initiative. The first edition in Latin America includes representatives from Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina, as well as multilateral institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). “It’s an opportunity to exchange experiences, to learn lessons, and to engage in dialogue with peers. Furthermore, it’s a space for us to advance on topics such as artificial intelligence in industry, the new geopolitical context, and productive transformation aimed at overcoming development challenges, as well as building capacities to expand industrialization efforts. We hope to plant a seed for the articulation of initiatives in Latin America that promote industrialization for the socioeconomic development of Brazil and the region,” he stated.

Latin America's leading role

The president of the Babbage Forum , Professor Mike Gregory, highlighted the relevance of Latin America on the global stage and the current moment of transformation in industrial policies. "There is a growing recognition that the expertise that exists here, its natural resources, and its connections with other parts of the world make it essential to understand this context in order to grasp the dynamics of industrial policies and the global economy," he said.

The academic noted that all nations in the region are taking the topic of industrial policy very seriously and, given so many changes, it is crucial to understand not only their own economy but also those with which it is connected. "What we are seeing is that countries are attentive to global transformations, carefully reflecting on their implications and seeking opportunities for closer cooperation than in the past. These are undoubtedly very promising times," he stated.

In turn, the president of Finep, Luiz Antônio Rodrigues Elias, highlighted the strategic role of innovation in the current international context. “We are living through a time of great transformations, in which countries are redesigning their industrial and technological policies. The science, technology, and innovation agenda is returning to the center of development strategies, especially in the face of challenges such as the energy transition and the climate emergency. Brazil has important advantages in this scenario and needs to seize these opportunities to strengthen its productive capacities and position itself at the forefront of knowledge,” he stated.

He also highlighted the importance of holding the forum in Brazil and the international context in which it takes place. “We are currently experiencing a very important moment for Finep, with the Babbage Forum being held in Latin America, precisely in this institution, the Innovation Agency. It is important for two reasons: not only for the symbolic nature of bringing together leading international experts to discuss topics that are very dear to us, but mainly because of a time of geopolitical tensions and increasing technological disruption, with the introduction of artificial intelligence, as well as advances in biotechnology, quantum computing, and advanced robotics. Having structured policies in the face of this scenario is fundamental. This is a moment in which the science, technology, and innovation agenda is becoming increasingly central to the Brazilian development process,” he said.

On that occasion, the director of the ECLAC office in Brazil, Camila Gramkow, highlighted the country's recent progress and the importance of regional cooperation in the international context. “It is possible to observe the progress that Brazil has achieved in recent years, with the reactivation of institutional instruments and the strengthening of public policies. This process engages with the experiences of other countries and opens up space to expand regional integration. At the same time, it is fundamental to understand the different technological trajectories, especially in the field of energy, and to use solid information bases to strengthen the construction of scientific and technological capacities geared towards energy transformation,” she stated.

The director also highlighted the challenging global context and the centrality of productive development in addressing inequalities. “We live in a complex international scenario, marked by economic rivalries. In this context, it becomes even more evident that there is no way to face the challenges of inequality and promote equity without placing productive, technological, and scientific development at the center of strategies. Initiatives such as the Babbage Forum contribute to the collective construction of solutions and to the strengthening of cooperation between countries at a time of great transformations,” she concluded.