In Florianópolis, Southern Brazil, the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) plays a pivotal role in launching the New Space Innovation Cluster—a strategic SENAI-MIT partnership creating a national hub for space innovation.
It all originated from a late 2024 proposal by SENAI’s Institute of Innovation in Embedded Systems, selected by MIT earlier this year, marking a significant leap for Brazil’s aerospace ecosystem.
The momentum built quickly through an institutional meeting convened by the Federation of Industries of Santa Catarina (FIESC), where regional leaders aligned strategic goals and tapped Santa Catarina’s proven expertise in nanosatellite development and space technologies.
At the heart of ILP’s involvement lies its unique ability to bridge MIT’s global specialists with SENAI and key industry stakeholders via the Global Organizations Laboratory (GO-Lab) within MIT’s Executive MBA program. This collaboration is shaping a sustainable cluster model, targeting research breakthroughs in nanosatellites, rockets, rovers, and IoT applications.
Beyond core technologies, ILP drives workforce development, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure initiatives—demonstrating its commitment to partnerships that spark innovation, strengthen regional industries, and position Brazil as Latin America’s space technology leader.