Science and Technology Partnerships Grow in South America

By David Smalley, Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- Scientific diplomacy took a giant step forward as Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Rear Adm. Mat Winter officially opened the new Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 24

ONR Global - charged with providing international science and technology (S&T) solutions for current and future naval challenges - engages with the international S&T community around the world. Officials noted that the new office in Brazil will be critical to the advancement of open-source, unclassified knowledge and collaboration in a region marked by rapidly-expanding economies and significant growth in cutting-edge science.

"The opening of the Sao Paulo office reflects the strong, longstanding S&T relationships ONR has with the international community," Winter noted. "This office will serve as a regional hub for collaboration with researchers across South America to share discovery and invention, which are the lifeblood of scientific advancement."

Recent collaborative research between South American and U.S. scientists have included academic gatherings in the fields of alternative energy, underwater acoustics, augmented reality and more, as well as research projects involving topics ranging from flood prediction to materials stress and marine genomics.

The new office will help coordinate activities across the vast South American continent with ONR Global's existing office in Santiago, Chile.

Capt. Clark Troyer, ONR Global's commanding officer, noted that the new Brazil hub is expected to deliver significant positive impacts for the future force.

"The opening of a new office in the largest country in South America is an important development, emphasizing that breakthrough science and technology capabilities generally come about only through collaboration and partnerships," he added. "Those who follow S&T from a naval perspective recognize that Brazil is significant, both in its impressive academic and research communities, as well as the wealth of opportunities to conduct research in unique ecological settings."

ONR Global has offices on multiple continents, including Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Its commanding officer and technical director are based in London. An important part of the command's collaborative efforts are associate directors, who promote collaboration with international scientists; and science advisors, who identify fleet needs.

Both groups serve as the CNR's "science ambassadors," creating essential links with both the international S&T community and operational forces to successfully execute the Naval S&T Strategy.