Coppe, CREA-RJ, and CAU-RJ urge candidates to strengthen the state’s technical capacity

For the first time in Rio de Janeiro state elections, the Rio Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy (CREA-RJ), the Council of Architecture and Urbanism (CAU-RJ), and Coppe/UFRJ are joining forces to advocate with the leading candidates for the establishment of public engineering and architecture as a state policy.

On the 28th, at Coppe, the two councils and the science and technology institution will present a letter of commitments, which advocates for measures ranging from strengthening the State Institute of Engineering and Architecture (IEEA) to creating state-level structures focused on preventing floods and landslides–following the example of Rio Águas and GEO Rio in the city of Rio–as well as ensuring that engineers and architectures lead public agencies whose core activities are in these sectors.

The document proposes that the IEEA perform a technical role equivalent to that carried out by the State Attorney General’s Office (PGE) in the legal sphere, with career plans and continuing education. The letter also suggests the creation of a state secretariat for infrastructure recovery to establish permanent strategies for the recovery and renovation of existing infrastructure.

The president of CREA-RJ, engineer Miguel Fernández, emphasizes the importance of this unprecedented initiative.

“The two professional councils in the technology sector, together with the leading research and development institution in our state’s technology field, have joined forces to present to the candidates for state governor the key issues that we currently view as fundamental, with an eye toward our state’s development in the coming decades,” explains Fernández, adding that the state needs a forward-looking policy to strengthen its technical sector.

“It is necessary to think beyond the political cycle, because the timeline of the technology sector does not align with that of politics. Decisions in the infrastructure sector are often not made within a four-year term. You need to have a statesmanlike vision. That is why the institutions signing this letter are alerting the next governor to the need for a long-term vision–as past governors have had–to ensure the infrastructure we have today,” highlighted the president of CREA-RJ.

The president of CAU-RJ, Sydnei Menezes, emphasized that the letter is essential for state policy.

“The letter of commitment, drafted based on suggestions from CREA-RJ, CAU-RJ, and Coppe, is based on a plan for the state’s urban infrastructure for the coming years. It is a proposal that highlights the need for the effective participation of technical experts, architects, urban planners, and engineers in the design of these projects and the execution of these construction works. This is fundamental as a strategy for the economic and social development of the State of Rio de Janeiro,” stated Menezes.

Coppe Director Professor Suzana Kahn Ribeiro argues that “the science and innovation produced in Rio should serve as tools for envisioning and building the Rio of the coming decades.”

“The next government of Rio de Janeiro will have an important opportunity to build a development agenda that transcends administrative cycles, supported by planning, knowledge, and technical expertise. The state boasts excellent educational and research institutions, and Coppe has been contributing for decades to the development of Rio de Janeiro, transforming science, technology, and innovation into solutions  for society’s concrete challenges,” stated Suzana, who noted that Coppe’s contribution–in partnership with professional associations–can be significant “in areas such as sanitation, mobility, risk prevention, and smart, sustainable cities.”

The document proposes a strategic development agenda for the 2027-2030 four-year period, establishing Engineering, Architecture, Science, and Technology as the pillars of a long-term national project designed to overcome the discontinuity caused by changes in administration.

 The three pillars of the document

The initiative highlights the need to transform Rio de Janeiro’s technical and scientific foundation and economic strengths into evidence-based public policies. The signatory organizations emphasize that, although Rio de Janeiro has research centers of excellence and qualified professionals, the state continues to face historical structural obstacles that require ongoing planning, implementation, and continuous investment.

The proposal is structured around three central areas of action. The first, focused on the technical capacity to plan and execute, advocates for the institutional strengthening of the State Institute of Engineering and Architecture (IEEA), granting it a permanent technical role analogous to that performed by the State Attorney General’s Office (PGE) in the legal sphere, with funding guaranteed by public works and services contracts.

Also within the first pillar, the organizations advocate for strategic positions within core operational agencies–such as DER-RJ, EMOP-RJ, Cedae, Inea, Cehab, and regulatory agencies–to be filled by professionals with proven technical qualifications. To combat the recurring impacts to extreme weather events, the proposal also calls for the creation of state agencies dedicated to risk mitigation: “RJ Águas,” focused on drainage and flooding, and “Geo-RJ,” focused on the stabilization and management of vulnerable slopes.

The second pillar brings together structural projects that are essential for driving economic development, logistics, and regional sustainability. In the area of mobility, priority is given to the implementation of Metro Line 3, the revitalization and safety of the rail network, the EF-118 railroad, and the construction of the BR-101 Beltway in the municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes.

In the area of urban and social development, the document establishes the premise that engineering and architecture must precede informal settlements, moving beyond merely palliative measures through ongoing social housing programs with comprehensive infrastructure. In addition, the integrated sanitation agenda advocates for the expansion and redundancy of the Metropolitan Region’s water supply, dry-season water harvesting, and the permanent elimination of open dumps.

The third pillar focuses on the transition of structures from the past to the future, guided by the principle of “prevention rather than cure.” In light of the aging and obsolescence of essential infrastructure, the charter highlights the urgency of assessing and rehabilitating critical facilities before operational failures or tragedies occur, specifically citing the Santa Cecília Water Diversion System and the railway signaling systems.

To implement this preventive strategy, the institutions suggest the creation of a State Infrastructure Restoration Secretariat. Inspired by the urban conservation model, the Secretariat will have the specific mission of inventorying, monitoring, and restoring major special engineering structures and vital infrastructure in the state, including bridges, overpasses, tunnels, outfalls, and water mains.

As a hub for academia and innovation, Coppe reaffirms its willingness to offer technical and scientific support, modeling, and diagnostics applied to public policy, integrating cutting-edge research with the real challenges of state public administration.

Finally, the candidates’ formal adherence to the manifesto’s guidelines will be monitored and communicated directly to more than 125,000 professionals registered with CREA-RJ and CAU-RJ, as well as to the academic community and the people of Rio de Janeiro. The institutions reiterate their invitation to candidates for the Guanabara Palace to publicly commit to a technical, sustainable administration focused on the state’s future.