At the International Congress of Nanotechnology, Thursday, July 7, the president of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), Paulo Skaf, officially presented the São Paulo Letter.
In the document the Fiesp identifies nanotechnology as a decisive component of industrial development in the 21st century and proposes joint efforts by companies, universities, and the federal government to develop this field in Brazil.
Nanotechnology involves the research and manipulation of molecules and atoms to create new materials, such as scratch-proof paints and “intelligent” threads and fabrics that repel stains and moisture and don’t fade.
The term comes from the prefix “nano,” used in the metric scale as a subdivision of the micron, which is in turn a subdivision of the millimeter.
According to the document, the consequences for society and business competition will be “as or more intensive and extensive than those introduced by the surge of information and communication technologies.”
The São Paulo Letter proposes several measures including “the mapping of real nanotechnological opportunities in the short, medium, and long run.”
They also recommend the expansion, with company participation, of multidisciplinary technical and managerial training, as well as of production infrastructure and knowledge acquisition.
The document does also suggest the formation of strategic partnerships to work out effective cooperation between companies, universities, and research institutes in this field.
Another proposal is the creation and upgrading of adequate financial instruments for the range of initiatives and activities required.
And they finally propose the encouragement of settings favorable to innovative entrepreneurship, especially for incipient companies.
According to the text, “industry must be attentive to this trend, in order to seize the moment and become part of this context.”
The letter also stresses that circumstantial difficulties cannot be allowed to delay urgent actions.
The document, which offers suggestions for government policies in this field, was based on the seminar, “Brazil Face-to-Face with Nanotechnology,” organized by the Fiesp in conjunction with the Institute of Industrial Development Studies (Iedi) at the Congress of Nanotechnology, which ended Thursday.
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