During the largest computing congress in Latin America, held in July in Maceió/AL, the inauguration ceremony of the new management of the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC) was held, in which Inteli's academic director, Flávia Santoro, took over as Innovation Director for the 2025-2027 biennium.
With more than 20 years of involvement with the SBC, in special commissions and organizing events, Flávia brings to the board a strategic vision of how to bring the scientific community closer to companies, startups, research institutions and public bodies, expanding the social and economic impact of computer science in Brazil.
"I've always advocated a more intentional relationship between academia and the market. Now I have the chance to strengthen these bridges within an institution that I deeply admire," says Flávia.
An innovative look at the coming years
As Innovation Director, Flávia's mission is to strengthen the dialog between the SBC, its members and the productive sector, promoting entrepreneurship and applied innovation. One of the highlights on this front is the SBC Innovation Seal, which recognizes projects with the potential to be applied in real contexts, going beyond traditional academic research.
"This recognition helps to give visibility to solutions that can attract investment and have a direct impact on society. It's a concrete way of bringing science closer to people."
According to Flávia, there is still a lot of room for dialog between companies and universities to mature. "We see initiatives emerging, but often the conversation doesn't happen because the two sides speak different languages. We want to help translate these agendas and generate real cooperation."
SBC: science, education and technology at the service of Brazil
Founded in 1978, the SBC is one of the most important scientific societies in the country. The non-profit organization brings together professors, students, researchers and professionals with the aim of promoting teaching, research and innovation in computing. With its headquarters in Porto Alegre and representations in all the states, the entity promotes congresses, symposia and meetings that drive national scientific production, as well as maintaining partnerships with international organizations such as ACM, IEEE and Springer.
Flávia's appointment also represents an important step towards expanding Inteli's presence in strategic scientific networks.
"Inteli takes a fresh look at this ecosystem. Having this dialog is enriching for both sides," he explains.
A path of pioneering spirit and passion for education
An electronics engineer with a master's and doctorate from UFRJ, Flávia began her career at a historic moment in Brazilian computing, at the company COBRA, and later became an entrepreneur with a focus on software development. It was in academia, however, that she found her true purpose: researching and practicing project-based learning, the subject of her doctorate and also the methodological basis of Inteli.
"Ever since I joined Inteli, I've been delighted with the possibility of putting into practice, in an institutional way, everything I was already doing with my students. Here, we've managed to implement PBL with excellence and purpose."
What drives science in Brazil
In taking up her new position, Flávia is once again getting closer to colleagues, researchers and researchers who have helped build her career, and is reaffirming a collective commitment to the country.
"What drives the SBC is the genuine desire to see Brazil prosper. We know we have the potential to do this, we just need committed people, collaborating, believing and pushing together."
