Paraná Invests R$ 2 Million in Science-to-Market Research Projects at Paraná Faz Ciência 2026

The Government of Paraná has committed R$ 2 million to fund ten innovative research projects focused on health, agriculture, and industry as part of the Prime program. This initiative was formalized at the Paraná Faz Ciência 2026 event, held at the Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste) in Cascavel from October 9 to 13.

Each project received R$ 200,000 in funding, aiming to transform academic studies into market-ready products and services. Researchers from institutions such as Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), and Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR) were among the finalists and recipients.

Three projects from UEL secured a combined R$ 600,000, making it the only state higher education institution with winning proposals. These include a sustainable agricultural pesticide designed to reduce chemical use, a "Butterfly Pelvic Trainer" device to assist children with urinary incontinence, and "Dermaser Gel," an innovative topical treatment for infected wounds.

The Prime program, coordinated by the Science, Technology and Higher Education Secretariat (Seti) and the Araucária Foundation, seeks to bridge the gap between academia and marketplace. Since its launch in 2021, it has led to over 30 licensed technologies and 17 spin-off companies. Aldo Nelson Bona, State Secretary of Science, Technology and Higher Education, highlighted the program's impact, stating, "The program makes the knowledge produced in academia reach society, transform into innovation, and become a product." This funding will support further development and market testing of these promising technologies.