R&D&I Infrastructure

Research infrastructures are physical or virtual facilities that provide the scientific community with inputs, equipment and services to carry out experimental research and development (R&D) and foster innovation. These facilities are registered on the MCTI National Research Infrastructure Platform (PNIPE).

This concept includes the following elements:

Physical facilities and the equipment and instruments used in R&D activities;
Knowledge-based resources (such as collections, archives and databases) used in scientific research;
Information and communication technology resources (such as grids, high-performance networks and specific software); and
Any other unique infrastructure used in R&D activities.

These research infrastructures may be single-sited, distributed or virtual platforms, and may be part of a regional, national or international network.

Examples of research infrastructures include large research facilities, laboratories, pilot plants, animal facilities, clean rooms, high-performance computing networks, databases, collections, observatories, telescopes, research vessels, reserves and experimental stations, among others.

Brazilian Center for Physics Research – CBPF

The Brazilian Center for Physics Research has a broad research and development infrastructure covering different areas of Physics, such as Advanced Materials, Superconductivity, Surface Physics, Nanotechnology, Magnetic Resonance, High-Performance Computing, Scientific Instrumentation and High-Energy Particle Physics, among others. The institution has several well-equipped laboratories for scientific studies in Advanced Materials Characterization, Applied Magnetism, Superconductivity, Surfaces and Nanostructures, Applied Lasers, Photonics and Plasma, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Detector Characterization. The physical, chemical and thermodynamic properties of materials, the synthesis of advanced materials and the study of nanomaterials and magnetic devices can all be analyzed with our high-level R&D infrastructure.

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National Institute of Technology – INT

The National Institute of Technology has several research and development laboratories focused on Chemical Analysis, Biofuels, the Automotive Industry, Health, Energy, Industrial Production, Assistive Technologies, Inclusion and Accessibility. One of them is the Nanotechnology Characterization Center for Materials and Catalysis, which evaluates material properties and studies substances that can promote health, well-being and a sustainable environment. Other INT laboratories include Organic and Inorganic Chemical Analysis, Biocatalysis, Mechanical and Microstructural Property Characterization, Corrosion and Protection, Ergonomics, and Three-Dimensional Models, Biomechanics and Sports Health.

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Center for Mineral Technology – CETEM

The Center for Mineral Technology (CETEM) excels in studies of Materials and Minerals, Polymer Processing, Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining, Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecological Risk, and Human Health Risk. Its laboratories have modern, specialized equipment and a state-of-the-art R&D&I infrastructure that make it possible, for example, to evaluate and characterize rocks, polymers, compounds, monuments and agrominerals at the Rock and Material Alterability and Conservation Laboratory. Another example is the Bioprocesses Applied to Mining Laboratory, which carries out circular economy projects focused on strategic minerals, such as Urban Mining, Bioeconomy and Mineral Effluent Treatment. CETEM therefore offers a wide range of environmental solutions and is a great choice for companies focused on Environmental Recovery and Impact Mitigation.

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National Laboratory for Scientific Computing – LNCC

The National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC) has a cutting-edge infrastructure to support scientific projects in many fields. Its Bioinformatics Laboratory offers NGS analysis and sequencing services for Molecular Biology and Genomics studies. The Santos Dumont supercomputer is an essential tool for High-Performance Computing and Complex Systems Analysis, including applications in Computer Science, Cybernetics, Big Data and Bioinformatics. LNCC also invests in Computational Models for Process Optimization and Machine Learning Techniques, supporting experimental research and the analysis of innovation projects.

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Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences – MAST

The Museum of Astronomy (MAST) has an R&D&I infrastructure focused on Educational Resources in Science, Mathematics and Astronomy, aiming to broaden society’s access to scientific and technological knowledge through Research, Collection Preservation, Science Communication and the History of Science and Technology in Brazil. MAST carries out and promotes S&T outreach activities on its premises, in schools and at other institutions, offering campus visits and access to high-resolution telescopes.

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National Observatory – ON

The National Observatory specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Geophysics, Cosmology, Metrology and related sciences, with equipment for onshore and offshore geophysical studies using Electromagnetic, Electrical and Seismic Potential methods for Fossil Fuel Detection. It is the MCTI research center in Rio de Janeiro that coordinates and hosts an environmental database that can serve as a reference for Environmental Impact Studies (EIA) and Environmental Impact Reports (RIMA), documents that oil companies need to explore oil in Brazil. ON conducts research in Astrophysics, developing devices for measurements such as the Accelerated Expansion of the Universe, at the Astrophysics Laboratory of the Accelerating Universe, equipped with spectrophotometry and astronomical photometry instruments. The institute also develops magnetic sensors for Geophysics, Geology and Marine Geophysics through its Magnetic Sensor Development Laboratory, whose main goal is to build equipment that supports studies in these fields.

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Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology – IBICT

The Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT) has a qualified team of researchers with expertise in Computer Science, Information Science, Communication and Applied Social Sciences, Information Visualization and Digital Methodology Development. It develops projects in Artificial Intelligence, Information Architecture, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Information Systems and Digital Preservation. For example, the Media Laboratory for Science Communication focuses on Editorial Design and the Popularization of Science and Technology, while the Digital Humanities Network Laboratory develops projects in digital Sociology, History and Anthropology.

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Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics – IMPA

The Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) carries out research and development in Dynamical Systems, Probability, Computer Graphics and Fluid Dynamics, among others, with a scientific staff of more than 40 researchers, all equipped to develop innovative ideas in Mathematics and related fields. For example, the Visgraf and Fluid Laboratories develop solutions in Epidemiology, Fluid Dynamics, Numerical Analysis, Systems Analysis and Development, Science Communication, Image Processing and Computer Animation. IMPA also has the IMPA Projects and Innovation Center, which offers solutions for many areas of the productive sector using Data Science, Applied Probability and Statistics, Machine Learning and Applied Mathematics.

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