With a focus on artificial intelligence and an ambition to become one of Brazil’s leading innovation hubs, the Google campus will be reopened “in the coming days” at the Institute of Technology (IPT), alongside the University of São Paulo (USP), said Mauricio Martiniano, Google’s head of startup support strategy.
Once it reopens, the company will begin selecting projects to support with a new space dedicated to development and innovation. “Everything is in place in terms of defining the paper and designing the project. In the next few days, we will officially launch this effort, start incubating the startup, and start executing the project,” Martiniano said. courage In Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale, California, Brazil. courage Media partner for the event.
Founded eight years ago, the Google campus previously occupied the sixth floor of a building in Paraiso, São Paulo. This move is more than just a change of address. The new facility will be located next to the company’s engineering hub and will consolidate research and development efforts.
“We’re going to inject artificial intelligence into this space,” Martiniano said. “One of our key objectives, if not our primary objective, is to position this country as a leading innovation hub.”
The executive said this positioning was made possible by the project’s proximity to academia and Google’s engineering teams, as well as access to large companies operating in Brazil and market and consumer behavior data, areas he also oversees at the company.
“Along with academia and engineering, we understand the market challenges very well. On the one hand, the market brings its demands through this intelligence capability, and on the other hand, startups develop solutions. This allows us to bring the two sides together more quickly,” he said.
As part of its strategy to strengthen Brazil’s innovation ecosystem, the Google campus will focus on startups tackling challenges in areas such as climate, agriculture and education, particularly those developing artificial intelligence-based solutions. It also aims to support the advancement of digital maturity in the domestic advertising market through AI-powered initiatives.
As a physical space, Google Campus will host a limited number of startups, between 70 and 120, according to Martiniano. However, its scope extends beyond its capabilities as its programs come in different formats and are designed to support a wider range of projects.
“There will be dedicated space for incubating start-ups, but the campus will also include other areas where we can, for example, host companies that have not been formally incubated. We will also host events that bring the wider start-up community together,” he said.
