Annual Rewiew 2012

Annual Review 2012

Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency

Annual Review 2012Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency

Mission

“To extend the impact of Unicamp’s education, research and extension through the development of

partnerships and initiatives that stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in benefit to the society.”

UnicampUniversity of Campinas

Executive Director

Roberto de Alencar Lotufo

Director of Technology Transfer

and Intellectual Property

Patricia Tavares Magalhães de

Toledo

Pictures

Antoninho Perri – Ascom Unicamp

Antônio Scarpinetti – Ascom Unicamp

Felipe Christ

Inova UnicampAnnual Review

Graphic Design and Layout

Gustavo Pizzo

Text

Adriana Gonçalves Arruda

Stephanie Alves Robbi

Vanessa Sensato Russano

Véronique Hourcade

Journalist in Charge

Vanessa Sensato Russano

MTB 05046-DTR/PR

President

Fernando Ferreira Costa

General Coordinator

Edgar Salvadori De Decca

Dean of University Development

Paulo Eduardo Moreira Rodrigues da

Silva

Dean of Undergraduate Programs

Marcelo Knobel

Dean of Graduate Programs

Euclides de Mesquita Neto

Dean of Research

Ronaldo Aloise Pilli

Dean of Extension

João Frederico da Costa Azevedo

Meyer

Vice President for University

Coordination

José Ranali

SummaryMessage from the directors

Inova Unicamp in numbers

Key performance indicators

Technology licensing cases in 2012

Technology minimizes the interference caused by the dispersive effect of communication channels

Researches in optical area aim at optimizing time and reduce costs

Algorithmic method prevents cloning of computer devices

Technology developed in Unicamp innovates the food industry

BioTest: software offers entertaining based on Biology knowledge

Natural dye for the textile industry from the residue of eucalyptus exploration

Nanoparticles of silica improve the agrochemicals activity

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10

12

20

21

22

24

26

28

30

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Inova UnicampAnnual Review

New variety of Stevia favors a production chain in agriculture

Photometer for fuel analysis brings advantages to distributor and consumers

Digital TV benefits from Unicamp-developed technology

Technology increases the efficiency in preparing samples for chemical analyses

Polarimeter based on laser and without mobile parts reduces the time of analysis and enables the use of colored samples

An electrode detects oxygen in water without producing a residue

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36

38

40

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Message fromthe directors

Message fromthe directors

Year 2012 became the new milestone in the history of Inova Unicamp Inno-

vation Agency due to significant results which led us to exceed 2011 figures

and to establish new records in different areas. This successful background is

composed of 13 technology licensing contracts, 107 inventions disclosures, 73

patents applications filed in Brazil, 21 PCT applications (Patent Cooperation

Treaty) and 29 software registration requests in 2012. That outstanding per-

formance comprises Unicamp’s best innovation results since the first patent

application was filed by the University in 1984.

Besides the quantitative results and the consolidation of mature practices in

managing our activities, we should also highlight the efforts to constantly im-

prove our service for the academic community and for companies interested in

setting up innovation partnerships with Unicamp. In relation to the service for

the academic community, we applied our positive experience in 2011 with the

online invention disclosure system targeted at Unicamp inventors who, in turn,

aim at applying for a patent application and we launched in 2012 a new sys-

tem targeted to online registration of computer programs. This has resulted in

an easier interaction with Unicamp inventors and therefore, we considerably

increased the number of invention disclosures from 61 in 2010 to 107 in 2012

and the number of software registration requests from 13 in 2011 to 29 in 2012.

In relation to our support for companies which aim at establishing innovation

partnerships with Unicamp, we launched a new site and a new webpage where

you can find profiles of patents and software available for licensing. The web-

page is a tool to increase the visibility of University technologies available

for trade and, therefore makes the initial contact of companies with our team

easier through fast access to information about Unicamp technologies. In

2012, we moved forward with works about Unicamp Science and Technology

Park, which is a space targeted to implement collaborative research labs that

favor the relationship of the university with companies and institutions that

promote innovation. Today, the Park is a reality, as we can see the urban plan,

the new building of technology-based companies’ incubator and the Lab for

Innovation in Biofuel (LIB) in final construction phases.

Inova Unicamp Annual Review 2012 7

Several activities which involve the entrepreneurial ecosystem actors of

Campinas such as the Unicamp Challenge of technological innovation, the dis-

ciplines and the group of entrepreneurship studies also express the consoli-

dation of the technological entrepreneurship area in Unicamp. Those activities

aim at making our University more and more entrepreneurial and consequent-

ly the ecosystem surroundings more and more active and rich in opportunities

which can lead the results of Unicamp researches to benefit the society.

Within the institutional framework, we can highlight the reinforcement of the

partnership with Cambridge Enterprise which provided Unicamp a better ap-

proach with the University of Cambridge and its innovation system. Finally, we

completed InovaNIT project last year which was designed by Inova Unicamp

with the support of The Brazilian Agency of Innovation (FINEP). The project

mission was to help Science and Technology Institutions to structure, insti-

tutionalize, and continuously improve their innovation management through

theoretical qualification of professionals and students, based on very success-

ful practices of the Agency and other domestic and foreign institutions. Based

on comments received from participants of several trainings and with the con-

clusion of the project, we were able to certify that we contributed in a solid

and positive way with the National System of Science, Technology and Innova-

tion by offering in person and e-learning free courses throughout the country.

Inova Unicamp continues to support the Technology Transfer Offices of the

country to constitute and improve their activities through two main activities:

our monthly institutional visits, which can be scheduled on our website, and

through annual developed publications such as this report and articles.

8

We believe that Inova remarkable results in all its working areas are the out-

come of Unicamp teaching quality and researches, as well as consequence of

the spreading of the intellectual property culture in the academic community.

We truly thank the whole Community of Unicamp for their trust and commit-

ment to all Agency activities, especially teachers, students, and researchers

who maintain a solid relation with our team and who are more and more en-

gaged to take their technologies to the society. We thank the sponsors CNPq,

FAPESP, FINEP and Unicamp Dean Office for their support in essential activi-

ties so that the interaction of university-company becomes a reality. We thank

Inova Unicamp Team which is more and more solid and qualified to perform

our mission in an efficient and competent way.

Patricia Tavares Magalhães de Toledo

Director of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer

Roberto de Alencar Lotufo

Managing Director


Inova Unicampin numbers

Inova Unicampin numbers

52 52 51 67 73BR patent applications filed1

4 8 16 14 1Non-BR patent applications filed

13 5 12 12 21PCT applications2

8 14 8 9 10Patents granted3

Portfolio of patents (in force) 4 625 664 705 765 821

10 8 4 13 29Software registration requests

10 45 9 6 12Software registration granted

72 55 61 94 107Invention disclosures

237 254 311 199 230Written opinion responses

34 36 43 52 63Cumulative active licenses

4 4 7 10 13Licenses signed

Industry sponsored research agreements signed5 15 8 5 13 10

286.195,00Licenses income (in R$) 195.713,00 191.681,00 724.752,00 384.638,33

10 10 11 9 10Tenants resident in Incamp

6 3 1 7 1Companies graduated from Incamp

30 28 18 20 25Number of full time equivalentemployees

21 19 20 19 17Number of temporary employees 6

33 42 18 18 16Events and Courses Promoted by Inova

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer

Support for technology-based start-ups

Institutional relationship

Team

Notes1 Applications for domestic patent filed in Institu-to Nacional de Propriedade Industrial.

2 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

3 In Brazil and Abroad.

4 Patents that were filed in Brazil or abroad (IP, UM, CA – Certificate of Addition -, NP – nationalphase). Index started to be measured at 2011.

5 This number only considers agreements nego-tiated by Inova Unicamp. It does not represent the total income generated by industry sponso-red research agreements signed by Unicamp.

6 Number of temporary collaborators include collaborators linked to projects and interns.


Key performanceindicators

PCT Applications (Patent Cooperation

Treaty)(2001-2012)

20122001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102000 2011

10

70

20

30

40

50

60

80

29

22

60 60

53

67

5550 52 52

51

67

73

20122001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

5

25

10

15

20

1 1 1

5

2 4

11

13

5

12

12

21Key performanceindicators

BR patent applications filed

(2000-2012)


Patents granted(2001-2012)

Portfolio of patents (in force)(2002-2012)

Patents that were filed in Brazil or

abroad (IP, UM, CA – Certificate of

Addition -, NP – national phase).

Index started to be measured at

2011.

2012

2

14

4

6

8

10

12

10

4

4

2

8

8

10

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

4

2

14

2

9

20122002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

100

700

200

300

400

500

600

900

315363

445506

250

593

705765

821800

625664

14

2012

Invention disclosures (2004-2012)

20

40

60

80

100

120

48

66

8072

55 61

94

107

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

90


Software registrationrequests(2000-2012)

Licenses signed(2002-2012)

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102000 2011 2012

5

10

15

20

25

30

3

68

5

12

9

67

108

4

13

29

2011 20122002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

1

13

11

21

7

10

4

2

14

4

6

8

10

12

10

4

13

16

2005

Cumulative active licenses

(2002-2012)

Licensing Income(2005-2012)

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

R$800.000

R$100.000

R$700.000

R$400.000

R$500.000

R$200.000

R$600.000

R$300.000


2011 20122002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

4

17

26 26

3

43

52

34

10

70

20

30

40

50

60

3336

63

Tenant resident in Incamp(2002-2012)

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

10

1211

9

11

910

2

14

4

6

8

10

12

10 10 109

18

Team(2007-2012)

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

5

10

15

20

25

30

89

20

11

17

21

2829

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

10

20

30

40

50

60

22 21 19 20 17 17

30 30 28 18 20 25

52 5147

38 3942

Full-time equivalent employees

Temporary employees

Total Number

Companies graduated from Incamp (2005-2012)


Technologylicensing casesin 2012

Technology minimizes the interference caused by the dispersive effect of communication channels

A group of researchers of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at

Unicamp (FEEC) have developed a technology called “soft-concurrent process

for time-domain back-propagation equalization in OFDM systems”, whose ob-

jective is to minimize the interference among symbols caused by the dispersive

effect in communication medium. The research was developed by Dr. Estevan

Marcelo Lopes and his advisor Professor Dalton S. Arantes and co-advisor Dr.

Fabbryccio Cardoso. The technology patent was filed in 2012 when an exclusive

licensing agreement was signed with Padtec. “The technology was developed

in a project financed by FAPESP and Padtec, under FAPESP s Partnership for Te-

chnological Innovation Program - PITE”, explains Dalton.

According to the researcher, Inova Uni-

camp Innovation Agency had a funda-

mental role in the processes for filing

the patent and licensing. “The Agency

helped us in the search process to ve-

rify the existence of any similar tech-

nology in the market. Then, it offered

the needed support such as prepara-

tion of needed documents for the pro-

cess, orientation in the minute elabo-

ration with the information related to

the requested patent, forwarding the

patent application process to relevant

bodies, and helping in licensing con-

tract”, says Dalton.

Technologylicensing casesin 2012

Dalton Arantes e Fabbryccio Cardoso

Researches in optical area aim at optimizing time and reduce costs

Researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

(FEEC) of Unicamp developed two innovative Technologies in the optical area

and both were licensed in 2012 for Padtec. The protection processes and tech-

nologies licensing were assisted by Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency; it helped

the researchers in formulating the patent application. “Inova Unicamp advised

us about the industrial protection aspects and about the patent range as well.

Then, the Agency made all contacts with Padtec in order to achieve the licens-

ing contract”, says professor Evandro Conforti, inventor of the patent, who also

received the help from Professor Cristiano Gallep (CESET-Limeira), from Dr. Na-

poleão Ribeiro and from the students André Cavalcante and Rafael Figueiredo.

The patent of the technology “method for deleting the optical carrier, deleting

device, remodulator photonic device and use of devices” was filed in 2011 and

it consists in a technique capable to recover the laser signal which gets to the

subscriber when the user had already received the internet information.

According to the Professor, the initial proposal of the technology was to increase

the rate of data transmission in wireless and optical communication systems

which operate with OFDM modulation. “The technology can be used in wireless

and optical coherent communication systems”, he explains. According to Rober-

to Nakamura, Padtec s Director of Technology, the technology can be used to

increase the capacity of equipments supplied by the company to communication

networks. “The licensed technology has a potential of use in Padtec products

but it does not have an immediate application yet since the market does not

have enough demand for traffic. However, the technology has a great potential

and can be absorbed by the market in the near future”, he ends.

About Padtec

Padtec S.A. is a Brazilian company which produces optical communica-

tions systems by using DWDM technology (Dense Wavelength Division

Multiplexing) with applications in long distance communication networks,

metropolitan or pier-to-pier connections of storage networks. Its mission

is to supply solutions in devices, equipment, and optical communication

systems which explore the optical layer potentialities; all this is supplied

to the globalized market in a fast and flexible way.

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According to Evandro, the technology differential

is the use of ultra-high semiconductor amplifying op-

tical devices. “The technology saves the generation of

a new signal which can have high costs. The invention has

higher speed and efficiency in relation to existing methods by

performing the deletion and remodulation of the laser signal in rates

above 20 gigabytes per second”, he explains. In practice, the inven-

tion can be applied in optical networks with centralized light sources in the

implementation of structure FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) – a connection of fiber

until the residence. “We can perform the connection so that the channel which

goes from the operator until the subscriber can be remodulated with new in-

formation and operate such a channel which goes from the subscriber until

the operator”, says Evandro. So the reused channel takes return data without

the need for use of additional wavelength. “The reuse doubles the capacity of

a system with a fixed number of channels and eliminating the light source at

the end/remote user”, he adds.

On the other hand, the patent of “Method of electro-optical switch which uses

multi-pulses and voltage step via optical amplifiers to semiconductor, devices

for electro-optical switch of optical carriers and the use of devices” was filed

in 2012 and it aims at increasing the speed of electro-optical keys which are

controlled by an electrical signal that can let a light signal go through or not.

“The technology differential is that when we use optical amplifiers to semicon-

ductors, it can have times of ten thousand times smaller than conventional keys

besides amplifying the signal to be switched”, he explains.

According to Roberto Nakamura, director of technology in Padtec, the licensed

technologies can be used in the future in the company innovative products.

“The technology can contribute to increase the equipment capacity supplied

by Padtec for optical access networks. In addition, during the project, we are

training high level professionals who will certainly contribute to improve the

capacity of Campinas region to develop technologies and products in the opti-

cal area”, he says. According to Professor Evandro, the industrial application of

licensed technologies depends on several market factors but it can be consid-

ered a future reality. “The company performs technological developments and

it is in test phase to integrate these keys and devices in what we call integrated

photonic chips so that to reach the results”, he says. Nakamura says that as de-

veloped technologies are very innovative, the application in telecom networks

is not immediate. “We need additional investments to reduce costs and then the

technologies can be used commercially”, he ends.

Evandro Conforti

Algorithmic method preventscloning of computer devices

Researchers of the Institute of Computing at Unicamp, Professor Ricardo Dahab,

Dr. Roberto Gallo and MSc student Henrique Kawakami, developed an algorith-

mic method which creates a unique identity for each computer device where it

is implemented. The patent of technology “Secure methods of identification

for devices based on the data flow problem” was filed in 2012 and in the same

year the method was licensed to KRYPTUS Technologies with the help of Inova

Unicamp Innovation Agency. According to Professor Dahab, Inova Unicamp es-

tablished an objective and clear contact channel throughout the process. “The

licensing was transparent and professional. In addition, the flexibility in the ne-

gotiation was fundamental for the success since different technologies are also

related to different business models”, he says.

The licensed technology has a practical application and can be used in note-

books, for example. “The great breakthrough is that even when the adversary

has access to the user machine he will not be able to clone the machine’s iden-

tity. That means the applications which need legitimacy guarantees such as in-

ternet banking can benefit from this method”, explains Roberto Gallo. According

to Dahab, the idea for the research arose from the difficulty in assuring that the

user’s computer identifier is not cloned. “We think that the ultimate definition of

device uniqueness is the device in its entirety. The method can create an iden-

tifier which takes into account the whole machine and then create something

which is not clonable”, he says.

According to Dahab, his team foresaw a clear opportunity in which academic re-

search could bring benefits to society, by searching for an original solution for a

current and relevant problem. The algorithmic method is in the implementation

phase in a big domestic bank and the company says that it is negotiating the ap-

plication of the technology with other customers of the financial sector.

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About KRYPTUS

Founded in 2003 in Campinas, KRYPTUS develops, integrates, and imple-

ments a range of hardware solutions, firmware and software from semicon-

ductors to complex process management systems with digital certification.

The company is focused on providing solutions for Information Security. It

is targeted mainly to customers who demand high levels of security and

technological expertise. In the public sector, KRYPTUS solutions protect

very critical systems, data and communications such as the Brazilian Pub-

lic-key Infrastructure (ICP-Brasil), the Brazilian Electronic Voting Machine

(Urna Eletrônica Brasileira) and Governmental Communications.

Ricardo Dahab, Roberto Gallo and Henrique Kawakami


Technology developed in Unicamp innovates the food industry

The computer program known as Nitryx-MIX™, developed in Unicamp and li-

censed for Nitryx company in 2012, is being sold for its first customer. It is a

new tool based on artificial intelligence which aims at finding the ideal formu-

lation for products based on interesterified or hydrogenated fats. The system

maximizes the nutritional performance and minimizes the production cost after

defining the available raw materials.

The development of this technology involved the researchers Daniel Barrera

Arellano and Renato Grimaldi, from the Faculty of Food Engineering of Unicamp

(FEA); Fernando Antonio Campos Gomide and Rodrigo Gonçalves, from the Fac-

ulty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (FEEC); Maurício Fernandes

Figueiredo, from Universidade Estadual de Maringá and Jane Mara Block, from

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.

According to Gonçalves, one of the inventors of the technology and founder of

the licensed company, they needed 15 years of substantiated research in MBA

or PhD theses for the creation of a technology which is commercially viable.

“throughout the years, the team mastered the algorithms and tested them in

different operating scenarios”, he says.

The first customer to use Nitryx-Mix™ is Brejeiro, a companay of the food sector

which intends to take advantage of the product benefits. “Having the soybean

and producing its derivatives, Brejeiro was interested in acquiring the technol-

ogy to reduce the quantity of palm oil used in the production of fats”, explains

Sonali de Oliveira Silva, Brejeiro spokeswoman. For João Gustavo Oreana, re-

sponsible for the lab of development and research in Bejeiro, the precisions in

the fat formulas obtained by Nitryx-MIX™ enable the ideal production for each

type of customer. “The reduction of saturated fatty acids, the increase of poly-

saturated fatty acids and the absence of transfat are some of the advantages

of this product for the end consumer”. In the short run, Brejeiro aims at using

the new tool and place samples to be tested on plants to customers. According

to Rodrigo, the purpose is to reach the global market with the product since all

companies that produce raw materials and finished products based on fats are

potential customers of this product.

About Nitryx

Nitryx (www.nitryx.com) is a spin-off1 company of Unicamp based in

Campinas. Founded by former students and researchers from Unicamp;

it started by using the Artificial intelligence and Optimization to develop

support systems for decision-making. Today, Nitryx consolidated this ex-

perience by providing complete solutions of support for decision-making

in several areas.

1 A company is called academic spin-off when it is created and its main aim is to sell a pat-ented technology of the university through an institutional contract of technology licensing.

Daniel Barrera Arellano and Renato Grimaldi


BioTest: software offers entertaining based on Biology knowledge

After being contacted by Inova Unicamp, the researchers of Laboratory of Edu-

cational Technology (LTE) from the Institute of Biology stemmed the possibility

to increase educational software outreach. With the new perspective, the group

developed a pilot system for tablets and smartphones with iOS and Android.

“We were impressed with the results”, says Professor Eduardo Galembeck.

According to him, there was a parallel fact-finding about Technologies which

had already been developed in the lab and with a potential to generate a techno-

logical product. “We reached BioTest by adding some components of software

which we had developed and some new other ones”, Galembeck says.

Eduardo Galembeck

28

The game inspired by a Hangman Game was licensed in 2012 to Takase & Dias

Engenharia company and its launch is planned for 2013. “The market of appli-

cations and games for iOS and Android has grown significantly over the past

years. We believe in the potential of a well-produced and amusing educational

game like BioTest”, says Rodrigo Takase, partner of the company and head of

the LTE apps development team.

Takase emphasizes that the company is going to invest in new partnerships

with the lab aiming at implementing improvements in the product, once such

technology needs constant updates in order to continue in the market. As he

highlights, any change can be made by LTE only. “The company is responsible

for selling and marketing the product”.

Game – with more than 1.6 thousand items which cover several areas of biol-

ogy, BioTest came up from the concern with students struggling with biologi-

cal nomenclature. “It is not rare to hear it is a justification for a lack of interest

in biology due to the vocabulary associated to the area”, comments Professor

Galembeck. “We looked for making this characteristic something attractive and

amusing”, he says.

The game allows players to challenge each other, and to compete by the top

places in the game ranking. Points earned while gaming can be used to unlock

new phases or even to settle virtual environments inspired in biomes deployed

all over the planet.

Galembeck says that BioTest is the first product of lab which is conceived to

outreach. According to him, he has been involved with the development of edu-

cational softwares since 1996 when he was a PhD student at Unicamp. In 1997,

the first software registration at INPI was made. The first educational games

developed by the group date from 2003.

About Takase & Dias Engenharia

Takase & Dias Engenharia LTDA is a small company which deals with engi-

neering consulting, development and Software Sales. Currently, the com-

pany is formed by two partners; a mechanical engineer graduated at ITA

(Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) and a computer engineer graduated

at Unicamp.


Natural dye for the textile industry from theresidue of eucalyptus exploration

The patent “Process for obtaining Aqueous Extract from Eucalyptus which con-

tains natural dyes from Renewable Source and/or Silviculture, Aqueous Extract,

Composition of Natural Dye to Base of Aqueous Extract, Uses of Aqueous Ex-

tract and/or Composition of Dye, Impregnated Textile Product and its Use”, was

filed in INPI for Unicamp, USP, and Stenville Têxtil, and exclusively licensed for

the latter. The technology consists of dying fabrics which have a base of natural

source.

Professor Edison Bittencourt, from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering of Uni-

camp, says that until the middle of the 19th century, just natural dyes were used

in dying fabrics. “The innovation refers to the development of applications from

typical natural Brazilian sources or which result, for example, from the use of

wood”, explains Bittencourt. The Professor emphasizes that the option for euca-

lyptus is due to the interest in profiting the excess of exploration of this species

resulting from traditional activities in wood industry as a source of fibers for

paper production.

The reuse of the industrial residue and the reduction of pollution in fabrics in-

dustry effluents, due to natural characteristics, are among the benefits of the

technology. These advantages are aligned to strategy of Stenville which has

maintained intense concern since 2006 with environmental issues and sustain-

able ways of production.

According to the director of the company, George Tomic, the expectation is that

selling the fabrics with natural dye will actually start in mid-2013. “We are in-

vesting a lot nowadays in marketing”, adds Tomic. The director informs that the

campaign motto is “Sustainability in Practice” and it has other product lines and

developed projects focused on environment conservation and recovery.

The research authors, besides Professor Bittencourt, are Professor José Otávio

Brito and the researchers Raquel Silveira Ramos Almeida and Ticiane Rossi, all

of them from Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, of Universidade

de São Paulo. “This interaction with ESALQ started as a result of an extension

which was offered by Unicamp in the area of dyes and colorimetry” says the

Professor from FEQ.

30

About Stenville Têxtil

Stenville Têxtil is based in Jundiaí (SP) and it deals with processing, prin-

ting, dyeing and selling fabrics. Becoming the leader of differentiated fa-

brics segment is the main purpose of the company which invests in 100%

recycled fibers, natural dyes and fabric softeners as well as in intelligent

fibers and organic fibers.

Edison Bittencourt


A new process to obtain silica-based nanoproducts was developed by a group

of researchers from the Institute of Chemistry (IQ) of Unicamp and it was li-

censed in 2012 to Ihara, a company in the agro-chemical sector. The process

consists in the synthesis of silica nanoparticles from sodium silicate and it

has a direct application in agriculture sector because if they are incorporated

to pesticides, such nanoparticles enable the controlled release of active in-

gredients in order to extend its time of action and reduce the toxicity. The

research involved two professors from The Institute of Chemistry – Professor

Italo Odone Mazali and Professor Fernando A. Sigoli – and the student Tábita

Cristina Beline, whose thesis was defended in October 2012.

The patent application for the technology and the licensing contract occurred

with the direct help of Unicamp’s Innovation Agency, says Professor Sigoli: “Ino-

va Unicamp helped us since the beginning of the process and has been support-

ing us in decisive and primordial ways. All actions of Inova in different phases

of the process (partnership elaboration and licensing transactions) were funda-

mental, especially in relation to legality and interests of both sides”.

Nanoparticles of silica improve the agrochemicals activity

Fernando A. Sigoli andItalo Odono Mazali

According to the Professor, the research partnership started when the compa-

ny noticed the potentiality of exposed technology and consequently got inter-

ested by the process development and by possible industrial applications of

technology. Then, a new synthetic route was developed during Tábita’s master

studies aiming at its adaptation to industrial scale. Thus, only raw materials

available in the Brazilian industrial sector were used. The developed process

provided stable silica nanoparticles in aqueous solution without the use of

surface modification agents by using an industrially viable process. These

nanoparticles which contain copper ions (II) showed in initial lab tests, done

in Unicamp, bactericides properties against some agents found in agriculture.

Currently, the company is searching the needed authorizations in federal bod-

ies to start the tests required by the sector.

About Ihara

The company was founded in 1965 as a result of the association between

Brazilian and Japanese businessmen. Its main objective is to offer more

modern, productive and profitable agriculture techniques for the country.

At present, it has more than 60 products targeted for most cultures and also

for controlling the domestic pests. Ihara produces fungicides, herbicides,

insecticides, nutrients, special products, household sanitizing products

and fumigants and it offers its services so that to help the rural producer to

obtain the best productivity with higher quality sustainably.


New variety of Stevia favors a production chain in agriculture

In 2012, Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency performed the first licensing of a

cultivar of Unicamp. We are speaking about Stevia cultivar CBQBA T6, result of

a research developed by the researchers Marcos Nopper Alves and Ilio Mon-

tanari Júnior, from Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e

Agrícolas (CPQBA) of Unicamp. The cultivar protection application was placed

in 2012 at the National Service for Cultivar Protection (SNPC), of the Ministry of

Agriculture, Cattle and Supply (MAPA).

Ilio Montanari Jr.

34

About SBW do Brasil

Based in Holambra (SP), SBW do Brasil is a company which is a leader

in the sector of biofactory of plants. Its main activity is the production

and sale of in-vitro micropropagated plantlets through biotechnologi-

cal methods of plant tissue culture. The company’s mission is to lead

the national sector of production and sale of micropropagated plantlets

in order to continue contributing towards the Brazilian agribusiness so

that to continue its technological expansion, grow and be differentiated

in the worldwide background.

Debiasi explains that the interest in the cultivar came up due to the compa-

ny’s demands for Stevia seedlings and the fact that the company has poten-

tial customers interested in cultivating this species. “Having a prior contact

with Professor Nopper, I asked him about this species that he confirmed hav-

ing it in the collection. In addition, the Professor had a genetic improvement

work based on mass selection which interested us”, he said. Then, the com-

pany set up a partnership with the researchers of CBQBA to improve the use

of these materials. According to Professor Ilio, the technique to develop a

cultivar – called genetic improvement – is used nowadays. “Our intention was

to create a cultivar which may become an agriculture option and favor the pro-

duction chain so that the transformation industry which transforms the raw

material in a finished product can count on a regular and standardized supply

and in the demanded quantity”, he explains.

For Debiasi, the perspectives for the use of technology are positive. “We are

working on first productions to start selling the produced seedlings from

Stevia mother plant CPQBA T6”. The director says that the company’s aim

is that the end product resulting from the production line ensures the best

product available and registered in terms of Stevia”. The director of SBW do

Brasil highlights that the contact with Unicamp, a university of excellence in

research and innovation, was a decisive factor in choosing the partnership

university-company. “We believe that narrowing the technical and business

links in a partnership with renowned entities such as Unicamp will bring us

more support in the market and it offers us several opportunities for expand-

ing our businesses”, he added.

In the same year, the cultivar was

licensed for the company “SBW do

Brasil” with the help of Inova Uni-

camp. “The Agency helped with the

documents in MAPA”, said professor

Ilio. According to Clayton Debiasi, di-

rector of research and development

(R&D) of SBW, the Agency provided

all orientation to protect the cultivar.

“Inova gave the support so that the

documents could be prepared prop-

erly”. For the director, the Agency

Team was very helpful in meeting the

terms. “The help was outstanding

since the beginning of the process till

its closing, signing and forwarding

the contracts”, he added.


Photometer for fuel analysis brings advantages to distributor and consumers

Researchers of the Chemistry Institute (IQ) of Unicamp developed a photometer

for fuel analysis which is a technology that determines the content of ethanol

in ethanol fuel and gasoline. The research has been done by professor Jarbas

Rohwedder and colaborators, professor Celio Pasquini and professor Ivo Milton

Raimundo Junior and Ismael Pereira Chagas, PhD student. The final product was

the result of a technology developed at Unicamp and Tech Chrom, a company

graduated from Unicamp Technology-based Business Incubator (Incamp).

Ismael Pereira Chagas

36

The photometer brings advantages to gas stations owners as it offers the op-

portunity to analyze two types of fuel in just one device rapidly, safely and with-

out generating residue. Through this analysis, the dealer protects himself by

avoiding fines and the consumer avoids losses and damages resulting from the

purchase of adulterated fuel. The technology avoids also selling ethanol at the

same price of gasoline or the addition of high quantity of water in ethanol. The

device helps also the consumer since the test can be done fast in front of him

and the result is clear and direct without any need for a conversion table which

usually confuses the user. During incubation, Tech Chrom developed a specific

analytical instrumentation. “The incubation in Incamp offered us a direct con-

tact with professors and specialists of diverse areas of knowledge of Unicamp

due to a partnership with the university”, affirms the director of Tech Chrom.

Despite the equipment has been put on the market, the technology has some

commercial challenges to make the product more successful. The director of

Tech Chrom believes the work from Inova Unicamp was essential for the interac-

tion between Unicamp and Tech Chrom. “The Agency work in licensing the tech-

nology and later in disseminating it was fundamental for launching the product

in the market”, he ends.

The launch of the product was in June

2012 and the photometer can already

be acquired by owners of gas stations.

According to Valter Matos, director of

Tech Chrom, “the technology works in

near infrared region and it was devel-

oped for detecting the adulteration in

liquid fuels by determining the content

of alcohol in alcohol fuel and the con-

tent of anhydrous ethylic alcohol fuel

in gasoline”. Besides not generating a

residue, the photometer displays the

result directly on the device screen in

less than one minute. “We can rapidly

analyze the fuel with the photometer.

It means that we can identify adultera-

tions in the product immediately and

collect a sample of a counter-proof for

a complete analysis in a lab”, explains

the director.

About Tech Chrom

Founded in 2002, the company started its activities in the Unicamp

Technology-based Business Incubator (Incamp). Tech Chrom mission is

to research, develop, and sell products and innovative solutions which

make its customers increase the efficiency, productivity, and quality of

its activities.

Digital TV benefits from Unicamp-developed technology

Brazil adopted in 2006 a digital TV system based on Japanese technology. That

was the motivation to start a research in Unicamp which led to an innovative

technology development called “Re-multiplication of signals ISDB-T for televi-

sion signals distribution by using DVB standard”. With the help of Unicamp’s

Innovation Agency, the patent application was filed in INPI in June 2010 and the

technology was licensed in 2012 for Tecsys which works in the sector of receiv-

ing, processing and transmitting digital TV.

The licensed technology has two characteristics which benefit the transmis-

sion of digital signal in Brazil: the first is that it enables the transmission of

terrestrial signals of the Brazilian System of Digital TV (ISDB-TB) in distribu-

tion networks of satellite, microwaves and fiber optics by using radio-diffusion

and telecommunication equipment used in the country. The second is that it

compacts the information and enables the distribution of signals to different

transmitters (single frequency network), resulting in an increase of the cover-

age area of digital TV.

Cristiano Akamine and Yuzo Iano

About Tecsys

Tecsys is a Brazilian company which manufactures professional equip-

ment for receiving, processing, contribution and signals distribution of

audio, video, analog or digital data. Tecsys products are present in the

main TV stations, cable TV operators all over Brazil; they are known for

their quality, reliability, and performance. Currently, around 100 colla-

borators work directly in research, development and equipment produc-

tion in São José dos Campos plant and 5 collaborators work in Israel unit

– recently acquired and intended to serve the worldwide markets. Its

products are currently exported to Argentina, Peru, Africa, China, India,

and The Philippines among others; this proves the industrial and tech-

nological capability of the Brazilian engineering.

According to Professor Yuzo Iano, from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer

Engineering (FEEC) in Unicamp, it would not be possible to use most of equip-

ment in broadcasting and telecommunication without this technology. “As the

transmission layer of the Brazilian system is based on Japanese system of digital

TV, most of Brazilian broadcasting and telecommunications pieces of equipment

were not able to be used. Thus, we are working on a solution which can make

these pieces of equipment compatible with ISDB-TB Digital broadcast technol-

ogy” said Yuzo.

Besides Professor Yuzo, other researchers make part of inventors’ team such

as Cristiano Akamine, Ana Lúcia Mendes Cruz Silvestre da Silva and Fernando

Silvestre da Silva; all of them are former graduation students in FEEC.

Rodolfo Vidal, director of technology of Tecsys, explains that the subject of BTS

compression, i.e. the conversion to DVB standard which enables the distribu-

tion via satellite, was a theme of several discussions in the Brazilian Digital TV

forum. According to him, the company was interested in the technology because

it considered the compression process standardization necessary for a common

methodology for all manufacturers. “The market trend was the adoption of an

open standard, therefore we started contacting the researchers and arrived at

Unicamp for licensing the patent”, he said. Among the technology benefits, he

emphasizes that in addition of being a well-defined and coherent process from

technology point of view, the main benefit is to ensure the interoperability of

equipment that adopts the same technology.


Technology increases the efficiency inpreparing samples for chemical analyses

Solid phase extraction is a technique for preparing samples in chemical analy-

ses and the technology developed in the Laboratório de Bioanalítica Paracelsus

of the Institute of Chemistry of Unicamp, results in a higher efficiency of this

process as it enables a high precision in flow control. “This technology can be

used for preparing samples in chemical analyses which use instrumental meth-

ods especially chromatographic methods (physical-chemical separation meth-

od)”, says Professor Susanne Rath.

As the samples of food, biological fluids among others show several elements

(the analysis focus is called analyte), it is necessary to eliminate these interfer-

ing elements and concentrate the analytes which are object of the analysis. To

meet this need, commonly solid phase extraction is used, and in this stage the

licensed technology for Eciambarella is used.

“It is a device composed of a cham-

ber, valves, and vacuum pump or

peristaltic pump”, says Susanne and

emphasizes that this is one of the

differentials of this technology. “The

differential is that our device can be

coupled either to a vacuum pump,

commonly used with presents low

precision in flow control or to a peri-

staltic pump which confers high pre-

cision in flow control”, she adds.

The technology represents the fourth

generation of a device which has been

developed since 2008 in the Labora-

tory and it was developed by the re-

searcher Ricardo Mathias Orlando,

PhD student in that time.

About Eciambarella

Eciambarella Ltda. is a company targeted to Molecular Biology, Cellular

Culture and Immunology. Its head office is in São Paulo city with a work-

force of 25 professionals who work in the commercial, production and re-

search areas.

Susanne Rath andRicardo Mathias

According to the researchers, the idea

came up with the difficulty they had

to control the flow during procedures

of solid phase extractions using vac-

uum pumps. The result motivated the

researchers as the work produced a

differentiated product easy to pro-

duce with advantages in relation to

the one commercially available.

The Professor stressed that the group

has six filed patents. “All filed patents

are related to solid phase extraction.

Inova played an important role to es-

tablish the patent draft, as well as in

the licensing process once the com-

pany interested in selling the device

was identified by professionals of the

technology transfer area of Inova”,

Susanne concludes.

Polarimeter based on laser and without mobile parts reduces the time of analysis and enables

the use of colored samples

Researches of the Chemistry Institute (IQ) developed a polarimeter (equipment

used to perform measurements employing polarized light) which shows innova-

tive characteristics and results in several benefits such as the possibility to use

colored samples, resulting in smaller impact to environment due to simplifica-

tion of the clarification process. Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency filed the pat-

ent application and the technology was licensed for Eciambarella in 2012.

As Professor Celio Pasquini explains, one of the main items of innovation in

the instrument refers to the use of a low cost continuous laser and a birefrin-

gent crystal which enables its design without any mobile parts. The result is

an instrument which is different for its excellent robustness, durability, and

performance. “The most common use of this type of instrument, and perhaps

the most relevant for Brazil, is found in the determination of sucrose content

(sugar) in sugarcane juice’, says Pasquini; he adds that the pharmaceutical

sector uses intensively this type of instrument to determine the purity of cer-

tain active ingredients for drugs.

Celio Pasquini


According to Professor Pasquini, the group of researchers, which involved Pro-

fessor Jarbas José Rodrigues Rohwedder, also from the Chemistry Institute, and

two students, one of them is PhD, Lívia Paulia Dias Ribeiro, and the other is an

undergraduate research student, Matheus Angeluzzi Jardim, has been very opti-

mistic since the start of project, regarding its targeted results.

“This expectation was confirmed through the installation of a bench prototype

for Embrapa Milho e Sorgo unit (MG) under the responsibility of the researcher

Dr. Maria Lúcia Ferreira Simione, whose group started to use the polarimeter

to determine sucrose in sorghum syrup”, says Pasquini, and he explains that

sorghum has been evaluated as a substitute of sugarcane in the production of

combustible bioethanol with a better use in sugarcane intercropping. “This fact

ensured the robustness of the new instrument and added value to the technol-

ogy in the licensing contract (with Eciambarella) which could be negotiated in

more favorable conditions”, analyzes Pasquini.

The director of the company Ernestino Ciambarella affirms that their expectation

is to produce a commercial prototype within 12 months. “We only have to polish

this project, transform the instrument in a commercial version, start the market-

ing project, and set up the sales strategy ”, the director summarizes.

An electrode detects oxygen in water without producing a residue

The good results of a research done during the master degree of Lucas Samuel

Soares dos Santos whose advisor was Professor Yoshitaka Gushikem, from

the Chemistry Institute of Unicamp made the researchers go after technology

protection via a patent called “Electro-chemical sensor based on ceramic car-

bon material for determining the dissolved oxygen and the process for obtai-

ning it”. According to Professor Gushikem, the researchers did not have in the

beginning any notion about the possibilities for selling the technology. “We

did not know whether any company would be interested in selling it”, he said.

The patent was filed in 2010 with the support of Inova Unicamp Innovation

Agency. Inova also helped in licensing the technology for Eciambarella in 2012.

The company was interested in the technology because of its differential sin-

ce the invention verifies the dissolved oxygen quantity without generating any

type of residue. According to Professor Gushikem, this verification is performed

nowadays with a type of electrode which requires the use of a selective mem-

brane for oxygen in order to avoid the interference of other chemical species

which are usually present in natural waters”. Another characteristics of the com-

mercial electrode is that it produces peroxide during the process; “peroxide is a

highly oxidant substance which can be harmful for some organisms”, he adds.

42

Without this membrane, the electrode developed in the research generates just

water during the analysis process. As he explains, the synthesized material is

composed of mixed oxide, called SiO2/MxOy, and it contains an electroactive

species MPc (metallic phthalocyanine) mixed with graphite carbon homoge-

neously. “This characteristics gives the electrical conductivity which is needed

to perform the measurement”, says Gushikem. “The material is employed in a

hard disc which enables its use as an electrode of a very long useful life”, he

continues and he also highlights another characteristics of the technology.

Ernestino Ciambarella, director of the company, says that the contact with

Inova Unicamp was important because it enabled us to know technologies

developed from researches done in the University. They were three techno-

logies licensed by the Institute of Chemistry. According to Ciambarella, this

interaction university-company enables the development and application of

new technologies efficiently and safely. In addition, Ciambarella says that the

contact with high qualification of teachers and students of Unicamp and with

the technology of Unicamp was a factor of reliability. “I understand that being

involved with people who know what they do with a university, we motivate to

search technologies and participate in the process by contributing with what

we already know to do which is manufacturing and trading’, he adds. “I like

exploring the possibilities I have and to involve myself with projects and do-

mestic production”, he ends.

Yoshitaka Gushikem

Inova Unicamp Innovation AgencyRoxo Moreira Street, 1871,

Postal Code 613113083-592

Campinas, SP Brazil

www.inova.unicamp.br

Annual Rewiew 2012

Documents

directorsinova unicamp

innovation partnerships

technology licensing

time of analysis

significant results

quantitative results

fuel analysis

new milestone