By Tayfun King
At first glance Florianopolis, in southern Brazil, resembles the quintessential picture postcard resort. It has become one of South America's most popular destinations, a magnet for sun seekers.
But for all its hedonism, Florianopolis has its gaze firmly fixed on something altogether more serious - becoming the regional technological powerhouse. Sapiens Parque science park is the $1.3bn (£81m) brainchild of the Brazilian government, as part of a wider $24bn (£15bn) initiative to promote science and technology in the country. "When we talk about the amount of money that Brazil is investing in science, technology and innovation… compared to the other countries in South America, we are talking about ten times more," says Jose Eduardo A Fiates, executive director of Sapiens Parque. But for all the talk of the money, it is tangible innovation that the region wants to shout about - and the investment is spawning a variety of solutions to very local problems.
That means companies can monitor their drivers from afar, and police can have test results and photographic evidence immediately transmitted to stations. Alongside the newer gadgets goes more venerable tech that has changed the old-style politics of Brazil. Designed to combat electoral fraud, the electronic voting machine was launched nationally in 2000. And it was after the debacle of the Bush-Gore US election that this particular gadget put Florianopolis on the international technology map. "The electronic voting machine guarantees the authenticity of the person who is voting by digital printing, making the system more infallible against electoral corruption," says Luiz Henrique da Silveira, the governor of Santa Catarina.
It might not look like a very advanced piece of technology, maybe more like something from the 1970s - but that is one of its strengths. The voting machines are very robust and have a 12-hour battery life. This means during elections it can be transported to the most remote regions
At first glance Florianopolis, in southern Brazil, resembles the quintessential picture postcard resort. It has become one of South America's most popular destinations, a magnet for sun seekers.
But for all its hedonism, Florianopolis has its gaze firmly fixed on something altogether more serious - becoming the regional technological powerhouse. Sapiens Parque science park is the $1.3bn (£81m) brainchild of the Brazilian government, as part of a wider $24bn (£15bn) initiative to promote science and technology in the country. "When we talk about the amount of money that Brazil is investing in science, technology and innovation… compared to the other countries in South America, we are talking about ten times more," says Jose Eduardo A Fiates, executive director of Sapiens Parque. But for all the talk of the money, it is tangible innovation that the region wants to shout about - and the investment is spawning a variety of solutions to very local problems.
Over the limit
That means companies can monitor their drivers from afar, and police can have test results and photographic evidence immediately transmitted to stations. Alongside the newer gadgets goes more venerable tech that has changed the old-style politics of Brazil. Designed to combat electoral fraud, the electronic voting machine was launched nationally in 2000. And it was after the debacle of the Bush-Gore US election that this particular gadget put Florianopolis on the international technology map. "The electronic voting machine guarantees the authenticity of the person who is voting by digital printing, making the system more infallible against electoral corruption," says Luiz Henrique da Silveira, the governor of Santa Catarina.
It might not look like a very advanced piece of technology, maybe more like something from the 1970s - but that is one of its strengths. The voting machines are very robust and have a 12-hour battery life. This means during elections it can be transported to the most remote regions
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