Swiss researcher shares her AIT experience in Brazil
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Meet Ana Martins, an EPFL PhD student who travelled to Brazil in November 2017 as part of the selection of 10 high-level Swiss researchers for the Academia-Industry Training program. For an intense week, she had the opportunity to explore the Brazilian economy, exchange with Brazilian peers and discover opportunities for her energy project SUNLIGHT. Next week, she will join Indian, Brazilian and Swiss “scientrepreneurs” in the Swiss camp. She shares her Brazilian journey and her expectations for the new experience to come with us.
Can you introduce yourself and your project briefly?My name in Ana Martins and I am an Engineer working in Materials Science mainly focused on product development. Currently, I’m doing my PhD at EPFL in Materials Science and Engineering during which I focus on the development of lightweight photovoltaic (PV) modules, based on c-Si technology for building integrated photovoltaic applications. My project is based on the development of an innovative lightweight PV panel, a glass-free rigid photovoltaic module with a weight of only 5 kg/m2.
Why did you choose the AIT camp in Brazil?
What attracted you to the program and to the destination?
I choose the AIT camp in Brazil because I wanted to have contact with Brazilians companies that might be interested in my product. I believe that the solutions I propose can strongly answer the needs of the Brazilian population, mainly with electricity access at an accessible cost. Moreover, the annual mean of daily global solar irradiation in any region of Brazil is higher than 1’500Wh/m2, much greater than those for the majority of the European countries (and can still reach 2’372 Wh/m2 in some regions as for example the Northern part of Bahia state). These high numbers make this country ideal for the development of solar energy.
What were the highlights of the trip? Your main takeaway?
I had a great experience in Brazil where I was able to increase my business network. The most important takeaway message was that the first minutes we have with investors/clients are the most important and will define how the collaboration will evolve. We learned how to pitch well and how to grasp the attention of the public and make them interested in knowing more about our idea.
What do you expect from the Swiss Camp?
I have a high expectation for the Swiss Camp. I hope to meet high-level researchers and industrial experts in Switzerland, and increase my networking so I can bring my technology to a global market. I also hope to find companies interested in my ideas, with whom I could establish future collaborations.
