Forum calls for long-term strategy on AI and energy
Fabio Scarano: "Brazil’s true strength may lie in showing the world how to integrate public policies"
Divulgação
Brazil needs to move beyond short-term policymaking if it wants to remain competitive in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, the energy transition and the bioeconomy, according to the organizers of the Brazil Futures Forum, a new event that aims to foster long-term strategic planning across government, business and academia.
Opinion: Brazil grows when it plans and cares
Debate over investments in artificial intelligence, the energy transition, and the bioeconomy is forcing countries to reassess their development strategies. Experts warn that Brazil risks missing opportunities in these areas if it continues making decisions focused on immediate results without integrating public policies.
“Brazil has developed a culture heavily focused on the short term. The first 25 years of the 21st century were marked by the digital revolution. We are now facing structural challenges involving the climate, biodiversity, energy, and artificial intelligence that require a different type of planning,” said Wellington Porto, the founder of the Brazil Futures Forum (BFF).
Inspired by future-focused gatherings in Dubai and Europe, the event will discuss how decisions made today could affect Brazil’s competitiveness in the coming years amid rapid changes in the global economy. It will be held in Rio de Janeiro from August 22 through 24. BFF is organizing the event with the Institute for Development and Management (IDG), the Museum of Tomorrow, and the city’s Department of Culture as co-organizers.
According to Porto, the event’s objective is not to predict the future but to strengthen the ability of governments, companies, and universities to anticipate trends and develop strategies for addressing ongoing changes.
The project is part of a strategy to strengthen Rio’s international position as a center for knowledge production and cooperation. The forum’s “Rio as a Hub City” study says the city has assets including universities, research centers, and a growing sustainability agenda—factors that could raise its international profile following a path similar to that of the United Arab Emirates. The event is expected to generate an economic impact of R$25 million under a conservative scenario and R$180 million if it becomes established on the international calendar over the next five years. The estimates include tourism spending and the attraction of projects, events, and international cooperation.
The forum will be held at the Museum of Tomorrow, an institution created to encourage reflection on how scientific, technological, social, and environmental transformations shape society’s future. The choice of venue aligns with the event’s proposal to discuss how decisions made today influence development over the coming decades.
The program will include discussions on artificial intelligence, the energy transition, climate resilience, cities, education, and governance, bringing together representatives from the public sector, companies, universities, and international organizations.
Fábio Scarano, curator of the Museum of Tomorrow, a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and a forestry engineer, said one of the main obstacles preventing Brazil from capitalizing on these issues lies in the way the country organizes its public policies. “Brazil is an environmental powerhouse, but it continues to discuss agriculture, energy, water resources, and cities separately. Water is present in all these areas, but public policies remain disconnected.”
According to Scarano, this division makes it more difficult to turn biodiversity into a competitive advantage as global demand grows for solutions connected to the low-carbon economy. “Brazil’s true strength may lie in showing the world how to integrate public policies,” he said. Scarano cited the energy transition itself as an example of the need for planning. Expanding the production of batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels is expected to increase demand for strategic minerals, many of which are located in environmentally sensitive areas.
Translation: Todd Harkin
