UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDUCACAO E ASSISTENCIA ASSOCIACAO

Their core work

UBEA is the legal entity behind PUCRS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul), one of Brazil's leading private research universities based in Porto Alegre. In Horizon 2020, they served as Brazil's bridge to European research, contributing to EU-Brazil science policy cooperation (INCOBRA), marine geoscience research on gas hydrate systems (SEAGAS), and advanced manufacturing for custom products (FASTEN). Their participation reflects PUCRS's broad research capacity and Brazil's strategic interest in deepening ties with European research networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects spanning 2016-2021, the evolution is limited but shows a clear shift. Early involvement centered on science policy and international cooperation frameworks (INCOBRA, 2016), while later projects moved toward applied research in geoscience (SEAGAS) and Industry 4.0 manufacturing (FASTEN, 2017-2021). This suggests a progression from policy-level engagement toward more technical, sector-specific research contributions.

PUCRS appears to be moving from science diplomacy roles toward technical research contributions in manufacturing and geoscience, suggesting growing capacity for applied EU collaboration.

How they like to work

UBEA has never coordinated an H2020 project — they participate as a partner or third party, consistent with a non-EU institution joining European-led consortia. With 24 unique partners across 8 countries from just 3 projects, they join medium-to-large consortia rather than small focused teams. This profile indicates a responsive partner that brings Brazilian research capacity and networks to European-led initiatives, rather than driving project design.

Despite only 3 projects, UBEA connected with 24 partners across 8 countries, reflecting participation in broad international consortia. Their geographic reach spans Europe and Latin America, positioning them as a key Brazilian node in EU research networks.

What sets them apart

PUCRS is one of Brazil's top-ranked private universities and one of few Brazilian institutions with Horizon 2020 participation across multiple pillars (MSCA, ICT, and Societal Challenges). For European coordinators, they offer a credible Brazilian partner with established experience navigating EU project frameworks. Their value lies in opening access to Brazilian research infrastructure, talent, and market knowledge — particularly useful for projects requiring a Latin American dimension.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INCOBRA
  Directly focused on building EU-Brazil research bridges, making UBEA a recognized actor in international science cooperation policy.
• FASTEN
  Represents UBEA's move into Industry 4.0 territory — flexible autonomous manufacturing for custom products — their most technically applied H2020 involvement.
• SEAGAS
  An MSCA Global Fellowship comparing Mediterranean and Brazilian gas hydrate systems, demonstrating PUCRS's geoscience research capacity.