6 de Agosto de 2025 às 13:35

Senai promotes mission to China to expand partnerships in education and sustainability

Brazilian industry strengthens international cooperation in bioeconomy, biodiversity, circular economy and sustainable technologies

The National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Learning (SENAI) intensify their role in international cooperation with China by promoting a technical mission to the Asian country, from August 29 to September 12, 2025. The main objective is to consolidate strategic partnerships and expand development opportunities in future skills, bioeconomy, biodiversity, circular economy and sustainable technologies, highlighting the initiatives of the SENAI Institute for Innovation (ISI) in Biodiversity and Circular Economy and the SENAI Network of Future Skills Centers.

The initiative is strategic for the Brazilian industry: in 2023, Brazil exported more than US$104 billion to China, recording a surplus of more than US$50 billion and maintaining the Asian country as the main Brazilian trading partner for more than 15 years. This relationship, however, goes beyond trade, expanding significantly to talent training, energy transition and digital transformation.

In 2024, during an official visit to China, CNI led an institutional and business agenda that resulted in the signing of memoranda of understanding between CNI, Senai and six Chinese institutions of excellence — among them, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, BRICS Academy and the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology. Partnerships were also signed with the International Alliance for Skills Development (IASDBR) and the China Association of Inventions (CAI).

These agreements already drive joint projects in automation, biotechnology, sustainable technologies and professional education. We highlight the creation of the network of Future Skills Centers in Brazil, in partnership with IASDBR, to qualify professionals aligned with Nova Indústria Brasil (NIB). The BRICS+ innovation platform, which integrates technological solutions across the bloc's community, was launched with the BRICS Academy.

Another cooperation front includes collaboration with Zhejiang University, both with the business school and the 13 science parks owned by the university, which aims at incubating startups and companies, attracting investments, joint research and exchanging good business practices.

In June 2024, the intensification of this relationship was evidenced by the visit of a Chinese delegation to Brazil — 33 representatives from 19 institutions participated, with the support of four regional departments of Senai, in an intense technical program: 23 meetings were held, totaling 27 hours of immersion and resulting in 18 new cooperation initiatives under negotiation.

The August 2025 mission will focus on the strategic cities of Beijing, Hangzhou (Zhejiang), and Shanghai. The focus will be on identifying institutional synergies and mapping opportunities for collaboration in priority areas: professional and higher education, technology and innovation, including Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energy, Bioeconomy, Biotechnology, Agribusiness, Mobility, Automation and Digital Transformation.

The mission schedule was built on the results of previous partnerships and the robust track record of bilateral cooperation. In preparation, representatives from Tsinghua University — ranked the 17th best university in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2026 — and Envision Energy, a global leader in renewable energy and a pioneer in the construction of Net Zero industrial parks, visited Brasilia in June, reinforcing their mutual commitment to innovative joint projects.

SENAI and CNI thus reaffirm their role in strengthening a sustainable, innovative and competitive industry, promoting global integration and preparing Brazil for the challenges and opportunities of the New Industry.