In addition to the PUCRS Science and Technology Park, Professor Rafael Chanin and student Erlane Alves dos Santos were awarded at the Triple E Awards 2025, in Prague
PUCRS was recognized in three categories at the 2025 Triple E Awards, a global recognition that highlights efforts to promote entrepreneurship and engagement in ESG issues at universities. Tecnopuc was named Best Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of the Year. Rafael Chanin, advisor to the Innovation Superintendence and professor at PUCRS's Polytechnic School, was named second-place Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year, and researcher and entrepreneur Erlane (Lane) Alves dos Santos placed fourth in the Engaged Academic of the Year category. Lane also won the People's Choice Awards category, in which the public, through voting and engagement on social media, chooses among all the award candidates. The winners were announced this Thursday (11) in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
The award recognized the University's track record of innovation and entrepreneurship, from the classroom to the creation of new businesses that meet societal demands, fulfilling PUCRS' mission of transforming knowledge into social development through comprehensive education, preparing people to change the world for the better.
For Flávia Fiorin, director of Tecnopuc, the recognition reflects the university's efforts to make innovation a core purpose that permeates all academic training initiatives, from undergraduate to graduate. Furthermore, she emphasizes that the award highlights the PUCRS ecosystem as an international benchmark and an example of an environment that fosters experimentation and nurtures talent.
"It's a testament to our keen global perspective, because we're located among major universities and major innovation ecosystems, and we have a vision we're unwavering in: drawing from these diverse sources and reflecting on how to translate them into our own reality. So, for us, it's as important to be recognized internationally as it is to have a local impact," says Flávia.
The Triple E Awards are the first to focus specifically on different dimensions of the third mission of universities: the active transfer of knowledge, technology, and innovation to society, beyond traditional teaching and research. In 2023, Tecnopuc was already among the best in the world, recognized as one of the best Innovation Ecosystems and winner of the People's Choice Award. The awards are organized by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), based in Germany and composed of world-renowned experts. It is the only global quality assurance body focused on recognizing engagement (generating social and environmental impact) and entrepreneurship in higher education.
Award-winning entrepreneurial professor and researcher
Professor Rafael Chanin, named the second Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year, sees the award as a recognition that reflects PUCRS's efforts to provide the necessary structure and ecosystem for professors to perform their roles to the best of their ability. In the case of entrepreneurship, for example, he emphasizes the opportunity to inspire students from the classroom to the realization of ideas into real businesses. Chanin is one of PUCRS's leaders at the Apple Developer Academy and the Tic em Trilhas program (a national project for developing talent in technology and design, available online and free of charge).
"It's very gratifying to receive this award. I understand that it ends up being a personal award, but in reality, it's the result of the collective support we have across all levels of PUC, which has enabled us to achieve the results we've achieved. I'm very happy to be representing PUCRS in this award," said Rafael.
With a law degree from PUCRS and the first person in her family to attend higher education, PhD student and entrepreneur Erlane (Lane) Alves dos Santos found the university to be the ideal environment for developing her entrepreneurial potential. Today, she is CEO and co-founder of Gendrify ID, a unifying platform supporting the LGBTQIAP+ community, leading a team of 10 people. Her academic journey began with a master's degree in Criminal Sciences, the only one in Brazil. She participated in the Entrepreneur Tournament, was part of the Hangar Program—which explores business opportunities based on postgraduate research—participated in the Garage Program (Tecnopuc's business modeling program), received technical support from the Experimental Software Engineering Agency of the Polytechnic School in developing her business, and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the School of Business.
Lane says that PUCRS and Tecnopuc transformed her worldview and her understanding of the social impact it can generate. Regarding the awards, she says they are a significant stimulus:
"It's truly a recognition that it's worthwhile, despite all the difficulties of being a female researcher in Brazil. From an early age, I believed in education as a tool for transforming my life. So, being able to receive recognition that, in addition to transforming my life, I'm also managing to positively impact society through this knowledge is truly a tremendous validation that I'm on the right path, that it's worth moving forward," says Lane.
EN 
PT 
