Batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells entirely developed by CINE members in Unicamp laboratories captured the public’s attention on June 11th at the Campinas Innovation Week. The event, dedicated to innovation, technology, and business, was held in the city of Campinas (São Paulo State), with free admission, attracting approximately 20,000 people over four days.

At the Unicamp booth, three young CINE researchers satisfied the curiosity of a diverse audience of professionals, business owners, families, and students of all educational levels. “One of the most attractive features were our battery and supercapacitor prototypes,” says Willian Nunes, a CINE member currently pursuing his postdoctoral project at Unicamp’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Indeed, the supercapacitors presented at the event are the only ones produced in the country to date, and the batteries contain innovative materials that eliminate the risk of fire, even when cut or punctured. “Many people didn’t even know this was already happening in Brazil,” adds Willian, who shared the booth with PhD student Raissa Venâncio and postdoctoral fellow Rafael Vicentini—his colleagues in the research group led by Professor Hudson Zanin.

In addition to these prototypes, the trio presented other technologies developed within CINE, such as a fuel cell that generates electricity from ethanol. They also provided informational material on some startups connected to the center that work on topics related to the energy transition—from corporate education and consulting services to the production of ammonia from hydrogen.

For Willian, Raissa, and Rafael, their time at the booth was a rich experience of scientific outreach, where they had to “translate” technical language to convey a message that could be understood by all audiences, without losing the depth and impact of the scientific advances achieved. “It’s not enough to know how to do it; we have to be able to express the idea clearly and objectively to gain more and more space and bring society and business together,” says Willian.

Furthermore, in their interactions with the public, CINE representatives highlighted the importance of bridging science and innovation. “When speaking with young researchers, we reinforced that scientific research must also seek practical impact. For businesspeople, we demonstrated that investing in science generates economic value and positions Brazil as a leading player in strategic issues such as the energy transition,” concludes Willian.

Learn more about the Campinas Innovation Week.