Address by the President of the Republic, Michel Temer, during the Inauguration Ceremony of the 1st phase of the Sirius Project -Campinas/SP
Campinas, São Paulo, 14 November 2018
I want, first of all, to follow protocol by saluting Professor Rogério Cerqueira Leite, who, incidentally, is someone... It is interesting... From time to time, I realise on solemnities involving teachers, that sometimes you don't even have to mention anything else but the name, and that wins the applause of all.
Therefore, one more round of applause for Professor Rogério Cerqueira Leite.
Dearest Ministers of State, Rossieli, Kassab;
Federal deputy Paulo Pereira da Silva;
State secretaries, municipal secretaries, mayors, I am seeing here Carlos Nelson Bueno;
Jonas Donizette... In fact, Jonas, it is interesting, is... It is always said that Brazil is the country of the future. I would say, firstly, that in the face of this inauguration, and of this project now created, consolidated, definitely, the future has definitely already arrived in Brazil. And it came, of course, to honour Brazil, to honour the state of Sao Paulo, to honour all Brazilian science, but especially, Jonas, to honour Campinas.
I know how, I know how Campinas, the people of Campinas are very aware of the importance of the city, and if I may... If I may tell a story about my professional beginnings, João Carlos, Aldo Rebelo... Let me tell you about the beginning of my professional life. As soon as I graduated, I became chief of staff of Professor Ataliba Nogueira, Secretary of Education. He was a card-carrying campineiro [Campinas native].
And he naturally conveyed this to everyone and passed it on to everyone. His grandson, at every moment, would ask the professor: "Are you from Campinas?" And one day, he called his grandson and said: "Look, stop asking, because if the person is from Campinas, they will be proud, but if not, they will be embarrassed."
So it's interesting... This enthusiasm of yours for Campinas has historical roots, does it not?
I want to salute Antônio José Roque da Silva, Director General of the Council;
Mário Neto Borges, president of CNPQ;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Our dear President;
I want so to salute all, and to say that the inauguration of this first stage of the Sirius project is, as we are aware, even based on the number of people who came to this inauguration, reason for justified pride for all Brazilians.
Because here, in fact, what we are witnessing, is a Brazil that is striding forward, a Brazil that is becoming part of the very select club of countries that has a 4th-generation electron accelerator.
Therefore, it is further proof of the talent of the men and women who dedicate themselves day and night to putting Brazil on the frontier of knowledge.
It has already been mentioned here that Sirius is a 100% Brazilian project. By the way, when we made that brief visit, the director made a demonstration, piece by piece, to formally show that they are all produced by national companies. Therefore, it was conceived by our scientists and developed by national supplier companies.
It is, therefore, not only a scientific enterprise - and the largest scientific enterprise ever seen in Brazil - but it is the most sophisticated research infrastructure throughout Latin America.
So this is Brazil - I reiterate, thanks to the talent, to the perseverance of our researchers - coming out ahead. It is Brazil showing the world how to do cutting-edge research.
Sirius - and here I will state the obvious - is a laboratory that is open to the international scientific community, because we know well that the great discoveries are the result of great partnerships. In fact, I have heard that the Campinas region is beginning to attract researchers from different countries. These are knowledge professionals who come to work with the equipment installed here, certainly and surely taking our experience to other countries.
Here, then, we encourage this extraordinary scientific exchange, don't we? And we want to consolidate this region, Jonas, as a leading research centre. Because solutions to global challenges can emerge here.
And it was said here: new drugs, better building materials, more advanced oil and gas exploration techniques.
In fact, I had already visited here months ago, when I was formally shown all the advances that were being, or are being, brought about by this enterprise.
And we know that all cutting-edge research generates effects far beyond theory. It brings more vitality to universities, encourages the training of new generations of researchers, generates innovation for the industry. It generates innovation for the industry and gives an injection, as our President-Director has said, it gives a shot of dynamism to the economy. I am very sure that we will have many, many reasons to celebrate, many joys with the work that will be done here.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, promoting science, as Kassab said, and as Rossieli said, is one of those duties that we all fulfil with great satisfaction. They said this is the real Maracanã. Not to be unfair, I could say that this could be Morumbi, Itaquerão, Pacaembu [São Paulo football stadiums], but that's beside the point. I mean, it's a fantastic thing. What was meant was that this is due to its physical size - it is more than 60 thousand square metres - but especially due to the potential it brings to Brazilian scientific knowledge. It is equivalent to the Maracanã of knowledge, of technological progress.
Therefore, it is a watershed moment that resulted from this collective effort, which was so well proclaimed here, and the result of planning and a sense of continuity. And I can say, just like on so many other fronts, there is no planning, there is no continuity possible, without fiscal responsibility. That is why we always repeat this. Without responsibility with taxpayer money, there is no public policy capable of sustaining itself over time.
In the same way, I can add that there is no effective public policy without constant dialogue with the most varied sectors of society.
So, my ladies and gentlemen, our commitment... is it not so? As mentioned by Kassab, it also maintains an open channel of communication with the scientific community. Especially when it comes to scientific and technological development. We do nothing, neither does Kassab, without hearing people who understand the matter.
In fact, it was this - right, Kasasb? - that led us to reactivate the National Council of Science and Technology in 2016. We want our scientists to have an active voice in the direction of Brazilian development.
It was also in response to the demands of our scientists that we sanctioned the legal framework for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Therefore, we now have a more agile and less bureaucratic research and innovation environment. We are facilitating, through the ministry, the integration of our scientific and technological institutes with the private sector and international partners.
And you see now this project approved, now definitely design, and you see how international relationships will be much broader still, because thousands of scientists will come to Brazil so that the country can reveal itself to the world through this formula that was adopted, [so that we can] reveal to the world the great scientific-technological progress of our country.
Therefore, my final remarks are, naturally, words of enthusiasm and confidence. Moments like this are actually very encouraging. We leave here even more convinced of the ability of Brazilians to overcome their challenges and build a better future for all.
I would say - I dare say, Kassab, Rossieli, and everyone else - that if we had done nothing, absolutely nothing else in our administration, but had concluded, as we did conclude, this project, we are inaugurating now, we would have done much for the country.
Thank you very much, and my compliments to you all.