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Curitiba will host the First Innovative Cities International Conference, from March 11 to 14, 2010. The event will be held at Cietep. An initiative of the Fiep System, it also involves the City of Curitiba, the Association of Municipalities in Curitiba’s Metropolitan Area (Assomec), the Fecomercio System, Sebrae, Copel, UFPR,  UTFPR, PUCPR, Oi, Brasil Telecom, and Petrobras.

The idea is to create and set up a favorable environment for developing an innovation culture in Curitiba”, summarized Rocha Loures. “This initiative will certainly help to find solutions for our cities’ problems”,  added Mayor Beto Richa.

“If we do not  prepare our trade community for future innovation, we will lag behind”, said Darci Piana, president of the Fecomercio System that includes Fecomercio, Sesc, and Senac. “Research shows that in 2025, more than 70% of the population will be living in cities. So, we need to think about the kind of cities we are going to leave for our children,”  said Edson Basso, mayor of Campo Largo and president of Assomec.

Rodrigo da Rocha Loures, president of the FIEP System said that  “Curitiba is the second innovation center in the country, after Sao Paulo, and during the International Conference we will be able to learn and exchange information on successful experiences with other innovative cities from all over the world.” He also stated that  “the idea is to build an urban community with a view to full-fledged and sustainable development. Lessons learned from good practices will be replicated in other cities.”

In his opinion, the issue of sustainability in cities and in companies must necessarily deal with innovation. “Social, technological, and urban issues must include innovation. And innovation takes place at local level, in businesses and cities. Companies are already investing in innovation, but it is necessary to consider the big picture. We must create a favorable environment in which innovation can thrive in cities. It is critical for people to perceive innovation as a value,”  he concludes.

Carlos Gloger, from the Development Promotion Institute (IPD) agrees with the president of the Fiep System, Rodrigo Rocha Loures, and maintains that IPD is the result of this innovative vision and that it involved the participation of the private sector since its inception until the current administration in the hands of the Board, Thematic Council, and Executive Body.

He explains that, as a third sector institution, IPD tries to integrate the private sector’s entrepreneurial spirit with the social environmental development capabilities of public institutions. “This way, its projects, initiatives, and actions contribute to the fulfilment of development’s economic, social, and environmental needs, which are part of the challenges that comprise sustainability’s triptych.

The Development Promotion Institute is a non-profit civil society’s public interest organization that is celebrating its 13^th anniversary this year, all of them devoted to the development of innovative initiatives and projects geared to the sustainable improvement of  society.

Planning for the First Innovative Cities International Conference is in the hands of the Sesi/Senai/IEL Observatory, agencies of the FIEP System, which are prospecting future trends and opportunities. Their work is supported by the Industrial Technological Prospection Observatory (OPTI), an innovation excellence center linked to Spain’s Development Ministry.