PUCRS’ Science and Technology Park (Tecnopuc) fosters research and innovation by means of concerted actions that involve the university, private institutions and the government. Companies of all sizes, entities, and PUCRS research centers are located in two sites: in Porto Alegre and Viamão, both in the state of Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil.
Today, Tecnopuc currently houses 136 organizations, totaling more than 6300 jobs. In Porto Alegre, the area of 11.5 ha where TECNOPUC sits was purchased from the Brazilian Army in 2001, and its old facilities have been renovated to suit the needs of the University’s partner companies for modern research and development operations. During most of the 20th century, the area housed different regiments of the Army and, today, it is adapted to the modern demands of a society that is increasingly dependent upon information and knowledge.
In Viamão, the building used to be headquarters of the city’s Seminário Maior, where the old School of Philosophy Nossa Senhora Imaculada Conceição operated for more than half a century. In 2004, PUCRS started to use the area as one of the structures of its campus. However, the entrepreneurial activities of the university identified the potential of the area and, in 2013, it became the focus for the growth of Tecnopuc. The area is home to other agencies, such as the Tecna – Technological and Audiovisual Center of RS. (All websites are in Portuguese)
