Minister Luciana Santos visits Orion and Sirius in Campinas and highlights Brazil's scientific sovereignty.
Construction of the biosafety laboratory and particle accelerator progresses with investments from the New PAC (Growth Acceleration Program).
247 - The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos (PCdoB), visited this Tuesday (30) the works of Orion, the first maximum biological containment laboratory in Latin America, and followed the expansion of Sirius, a particle accelerator installed in Campinas (SP). Both projects are part of the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM).
According to the minister, the new infrastructure is fundamental to reinforcing the country's scientific and technological sovereignty and strengthening its capacity to respond to future health emergencies. "This is the Lula government working to anticipate possible pandemics and guarantee solutions that improve the lives of the Brazilian people," she stated.
Orion: maximum safety in biological research
Orion will be the world's first biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory to be directly connected to a particle accelerator. The facility will allow the study of pathogens with high transmission potential and capable of causing serious diseases. This integration with Sirius represents a milestone for Brazilian science, placing the country among the most advanced in biomedical research.
Sirius: Strategic expansion for science
Sirius, in turn, uses accelerators to generate synchrotron light, a cutting-edge resource that allows for the investigation of the composition and structure of matter at different scales. The current expansion foresees an increase in beamlines—new research stations that enable analyses at the nanoscale. Furthermore, the project will be directly linked to Orion, creating an integrated scientific research environment.
"The increase in beamlines will enable increasingly detailed studies of matter, expanding the conditions for research and innovation in Brazil," highlighted Luciana Santos.
Support from CNPEM and strategic partnerships
The Director-General of CNPEM, José Roque, emphasized the importance of the ministerial visit. “It was very important to receive Minister Luciana and her team today. She came to monitor the progress of phase 2 of Sirius and the construction of Orion, as well as to learn about other relevant projects in areas such as renewable energy, biomass transformation, health, and medical equipment, in partnership with the Ministry of Health,” he stated. According to him, the support of the MCTI and the Federal Government is crucial to transforming the national scientific landscape.
Investments through the New PAC
The two projects are part of the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), which foresees investments of R$ 12,1 billion allocated to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), with the largest volume starting in 2025. More than half of this amount will be applied to large structuring projects, including Orion, Sirius, the new supercomputer for artificial intelligence, and the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB), totaling R$ 6,5 billion.
“The Brazilian government has given science a strategic role, understanding it as an instrument to face current challenges and improve the lives of the people,” declared Luciana Santos. According to her, the PAC resources will support initiatives in health, education, monitoring of natural disasters, and industrial development with more technology, in addition to valuing the work of Brazilian researchers.
