Rio Grande do Sul's Ijuí hosts 2026 ELI Summit, bioenergy touted for regional growth

The Sebrae RS organization held the 2026 edition of the ELI Summit in Ijuí on August 12‑13, bringing together entrepreneurs, university representatives, public officials and innovation actors to strengthen local innovation ecosystems across Rio Grande do Sul. The two‑day program featured networking rounds, technical visits, discussion panels on governance, entrepreneurship and territorial development, and highlighted Ijuí’s recent municipal innovation law, council and dedicated fund that helped the city win the national ELI Summit in 2023.

At the same time, Eduardo Condorelli, president of the Farsul system, spoke at the Campo das Ideias seminar in Rio Grande do Sul, describing bioenergy as a "golden unicorn" with the potential to generate income and improve quality of life for the state’s 11 million residents. He emphasized the need to expand export markets, build climate‑resilient agricultural practices and turn the region’s biodiesel and ethanol capacity into concrete economic gains, positioning bioenergy as a strategic pillar for the state’s future development.