As part of the Planetary Embassy in Belém during the UN Climate Summit COP30, Swissnex invites you to discover Switzerland’s engagement with the Amazon region in the fields of research, innovation, and the arts.
The event will present the preliminary results of a survey conducted by Swissnex to map Swiss-based organizations and projects active in Amazonia. Through a panel discussion and lightning talks, participants will explore what it truly takes to build long-term, trust-based partnerships with local communities and institutions, and how these relationships can generate sustainable impact.
The program will feature Swiss and Brazilian organizations collaborating on transformative initiatives across the region, offering tangible examples of how science, creativity, and cooperation can strengthen the ties between Switzerland and the Amazon while advancing planetary solutions.
Bio
Caio Fanha is a professor and the Head of the International Office at the Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará (CESUPA), where he leads global partnerships and innovative academic programs connected to the Amazon, sustainability, and the internationalization of higher education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from CESUPA, a postgraduate degree in Marketing Management from ESPM-SP, and a Professional Master’s with a dual degree in Management Science and International Management from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and the University of Sydney (Australia) — ranked among the top three by the Financial Times.
Bio
Benjamin Bollmann is CEO of Swissnex in Brazil since January 2025. He was previously CEO of Swissnex in Boston and New York, and Consul of Switzerland in Boston. He is the Chair of Swissnex’s CEO Committee, which coordinates strategic priorities across the global Swissnex network. Under his leadership, Swissnex has launched several long-term initiatives such as Project Quantum, Climate Collider, and more recently Swissnex for the Planet. Until 2020, Benjamin was Deputy CEO at Swissnex in San Francisco, where he led interdisciplinary programs ranging from science communication to humanitarian technologies and human rights in the digital age. Before joining Swissnex in 2015, he worked as a journalist and communications consultant at the interface of science and design in Switzerland. He is a graduate of ETH Zurich and has conducted research in neuroscience and artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Speakers
Vincent Neumann is the Head of Programs at Swissnex in Brazil, where he leads the strategic development and execution of initiatives that foster collaboration between the Swiss and Brazilian innovation ecosystems. He oversees projects in biodiversity, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, advancing international partnerships that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through joint efforts in innovation, academia, and education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen. Brazil became the epicenter of his personal and professional journey when he began working for a local NGO in 2019, later writing his final thesis in and about the country.
From November 9 to 21, 2025, the Planetary Embassy comes to life in Belém, Brazil, on the margins of the UN climate summit COP30. Part of a series of pop-up experiences across the global Swissnex network, this edition is hosted in the zoobotanical gardens of the Goeldi Museum, a setting that blends the Amazon's biodiversity, science, ancestral wisdom, and Swiss legacy.
More HereThe Planetary Embassy in presented by Swissnex in Brazil with the support of Presence Switzerland, as part of the Road to Belém program led by the Embassy of Switzerland in Brazil.
