The Mobility Program CNPq-CISB Saab has the goal of sending researchers interested in evolving their research projects in renowned Universites, in Sweden, in colaboration with Saab AB. The program started in 2012, and until now, we have achieved 10 O programa teve início em 2012 e, até o momento, realizamos 10 joint calls, withmore than 500 submissions recieved and 70  scholarship holders.

Renato Machado, professor of the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, ITA,  was one of the scholarship holders of the program. Participant of the 2nd Call, Renato was awarded a scolarship that allowed him to pursue a postdoctoral research at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in 2013. “Enjoy this Posdoctorate or Sandwich Doctorate to find challanges that you can […] learn the most using the access you might have. In my situation, i had (access) to data, data that sometimes we don’t have it here, we end up having through this partnership. To me, this was very important”, states the Professor.

He is not the only one that highlights the level of research and collaboration available through the program. Mauro Sampaio, an assistant professor in the Department of Production Engineering at the FEl University Center, also shares the impact that the call had on his professional life. Mauro, a participant in the 3rd Call, conducted a postdoctoral research at Chalmers University of Technology (CTH) and states that the opportunity  gave him access to key factors essential for producing exceptional work. In his case, one of the opportunities he had was to participate in diverse projects, expanding his network of contacts: “I collaborated on research projects with Swedish academics and others from different nationalities, which enriched my knowledge base and allowed me to approach complex challenges from varied perspectives.’

Mauro shares that, upon returning to Brazil, he was able to apply the knowledge gained from the program to projects he was already involved in, achieving excellent results. “My experience in Sweden, where I had the opportunity to learn about advanced technologies, directly influenced the creation and focus of the Digital Supply Chain Lab (DSCLab), a laboratory dedicated to researching and applying digital technologies in supply chain management at FEI,” he states. To Renato, the program also contributed to achievements even after its conclusion: the professor shares that the experience was essential for him to get to the place he is today. “For me, it was a turning point. I am very proud to work here today at ITA as an electronic engineering professor; I am currently the head of the division”,he says.

Neusa Oliveira, a researcher professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica ITA, was also a participant in the program in Sweden. Awarded in the 7th Call, she did her postdoctoral research at Linköping University (LiU). She describes it was an enriching experience, with ongoing outcomes from her time abroad. Neusa shares one of these outcomes, which is the inclusion of her postdoctoral students in mobility programs like the MCTI/CNPq/CISB-Saab 47/2024 Call, facilitating the development of their respective research in renowned institutions.

The professor highlights that, during her experience in the program, what impressed her the most professionally was seeing how much industries invest in research at universities. “They invest in topics with the aim that, in the future, the research conducted can be implemented in products. In other words, long-term investment in research seemed very present in the dynamics of Sweden”, says Neusa Oliveira.

Another point that caught her attention was the atmosphere of trust she witnessed while in Sweden. “Conscious discipline is something cultivated in Swedish society in general. It’s wonderful to be in a society where people base their actions on it”, says the researcher. Renato Machado also believes that Swedish society has the necessary structures to carry out excellent work: “Working there is very rewarding; everything is well-planned, very organized, and the working conditions are excellent”.