The Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) – Brazil, is a century-old center for technological education, founded in 1909. In 2005, it became the first Technological University in Brazil. In 2023, it has approximately 35,000 students in various undergraduate courses across 13 campuses distributed throughout the state of Paraná. The university maintains a strong connection with the productive business sector and collaborates with national and international universities. Recognized as the most entrepreneurial university in Paraná and the 13th nationally, it houses about 50 junior companies in various engineering areas. It has the highest number of engineering courses in Brazil and offers the most international double-degree programs. With over 20 consolidated innovation habitats, it forms an entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem that supports the development of applied research and co-created innovations with society.
Breaking away from the commonplace among educational institutions, the entrepreneurial actions stimulated at UTFPR have strengthened the creation of approximately 80 nationally and internationally acclaimed technological competition teams, with the participation of over 1,000 students from different courses. Below are some examples of teams and their results from recent years.
The Teams of “Mini-Baja” – have been gaining prominence in national competitions. In 2023, one of the teams became the national champion and the regional runner-up in events organized by SAE. Each year, they bring together more than 70 universities in events where vehicles developed by students undergo different tests.
The Teams of “Energy-Efficient Vehicle” – they have received multiple awards, including first place in Shell Eco-Marathon Brazil with a record of 619.1 km/l (2018, 2019, 2020), and first place in various categories at Shell Eco-Marathon Americas (2021, 2022), including a Latin America record in 2023.
The Teams of “Nano Satellite” – have received awards at the CanSat Competition: 35th place (2019), 17th place (2020), 12th place (2021), and 9th place (2022) in the top 10 Global. The CanSat Competition is organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and is the most relevant international competition. It is arranged by US Navy Lab Research and NASA. In 2023, the team participated in the Latin American Space Challenge (LASC) competition.
The Teams of “Synthetic Biology” – in 2021, one of the teams participated in the IGEM Design League, winning a gold medal for overall performance. In 2023, they secured the second place in the Synthetic Biology Tournament at USP.
What all these teams have in common is network collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and, above all, the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of our students, who develop innovations ranging from frugal to disruptive, sharing knowledge in the pursuit of the development of a society where technology and innovation are elements of inclusion and social development.
Thus, UTFPR goes beyond the classroom formation, providing support for the full development of a “new entrepreneur,” possessing skills and competencies aligned with the principles of innovation and sustainability of the 21st century.
