The Pirbright Institute recently hosted a visit by a Brazilian trade delegation to showcase the excellence of its science, and explore the opportunities for new collaboration.
The visit which included members from Brazil’s veterinary, scientific and agricultural sectors was organised as part of the UK Trade and Investment programme (UKTI). The delegation has been visiting a number of research institutes to see some of the UK’s latest scientific research and innovation at first hand.
During the visit, delegates had presentations from several of the Institute’s leading research scientists, including Dr Don King, Head of the World Reference Laboratories; Dr Simon Carpenter, Head of the Institute’s National Capability scheme and Dr Toby Tuthill, Group Leader for Molecular Biology, Structural biology and Virology. Dr Michael Rogers, Head of Science Administration, concluded with an overview of the Institute’s plans for its future scientific development.
Dr Michel de Baar, Director of Business Development, who hosted the visit said: “We were pleased the delegation included such a variety of organisations and individuals; including representatives from universities, the veterinary industry and farmers. They were keen to learn about our latest scientific developments and were impressed by our research facilities and the scope and importance of our work both for the UK and the rest of the world”, he said.
The visit to The Pirbright Institute was considered a great success; with visitors and hosts commenting on the shared benefits, and the opportunity to build new relationships.
Dr de Baar added: “Our presentations seemed to be well received, and the subsequent questions and discussion provided a useful opportunity for colleagues and I to hear from the perspective of our visitors too. We also had valuable discussions with our Brazilian colleagues about possible future collaboration, and I look forward to exploring these potential new opportunities further”, he said.