To advance scientific collaboration between Brazil and Chile, Dr. Robinson Cruz, Research Manager at Brazil’s Hercílio Randon Institute (IHR), visited the Electroceramic Materials Laboratory at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, led by Dr. Domingo Ruiz.
“I believe Brazil and Chile have much in common, but they don’t know each other well enough to leverage their art of transforming raw materials from mining into value-added products,” stated Dr. Cruz. He highlighted their mutual interest in developing new technological materials for electrolytes and electrodes applicable in solid-state lithium batteries.
Dr. Cruz’s visit provided firsthand insight into Usach’s technological capabilities and its high level of expertise in solid-state batteries. “But more importantly, there are people here who understand the importance of transferring scientific knowledge to the community,” he said. “One way to do this is by developing products that, I am convinced, will dominate a significant portion of the global mobility market.” The researcher also teaches at the University of Caxias do Sul and the Federal University of Santa Catarina.
“Chile has copper and lithium. Brazil has aluminum and niobium, yet we import everything from China,” the academic observed. “I believe it is time to change this commodity export model and start developing Latin American technology. That is the proposal.” He expressed interest in promoting knowledge integration among countries, universities, and industries, “not only in chemistry, but also in electronics, mechanics, and materials for chemical engineering.”
Part of his visit involved exploring laboratories within the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology and other university academic units. Among these was Dr. Matías Díaz’s Department of Electrical Engineering, where ongoing research projects are being developed in conjunction with Dr. Ruiz.
Dr. Domingo Ruiz lauded the initiative, anticipating that this collaboration will yield “effective contributions to the value chain of the lithium industry and other minerals strategic for Chile and Brazil.” The partnership will also promote graduate student participation and research stays at both institutions.