Brazil and China are making progress in radiopharmaceutical technology.

Brazil and China establish partnership in nuclear technology for healthcare.

At a meeting held in Brasília this Thursday (13), Brazil and China aligned a new era in the production of radiopharmaceuticals, essential inputs for diagnoses and treatments of cancer and other diseases. The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Luciana Santos, and the President of the Council of the China Isotope and Radiation Corporation (Circ), Xiao Yafei, discussed technical and commercial cooperation to expand the national production of these materials by the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research (Ipen).

The agreement provides for the transfer of technology, protection of intellectual property, and the creation of a subsidiary of the Chinese corporation in Brazil throughout 2026, with a specialized team to operationalize the partnership. The goal is to ensure greater technological autonomy and direct benefits for Brazilian public health.

Impacts and progress

• The partnership promises to transform health research, expanding access to more effective diagnoses and treatments.
• Brazil could reduce its dependence on imports by strengthening the domestic radiopharmaceutical industry.
• Joint investment can generate significant technical and economic advancements for both countries.

Global context and innovation

Beyond this cooperation, Brazil has distinguished itself in global technological innovation, as evidenced by the participation of more than 370 Brazilian startups in the Web Summit Lisbon 2025, one of the world's largest events in the sector. In the area of sustainability, Finep, an agency linked to the MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation), has been promoting bioeconomy and clean technology projects, with investments exceeding R$150 million for research in the Legal Amazon, as announced at COP30.

These movements reflect a national strategy to strengthen science, technology, and innovation, aligning economic development and environmental sustainability.

Photo by NASA on Unsplash