Mito Games will take part in a Research & Innovation (R&I) project alongside partners from eight European countries.

For the first time in Brazil, a company has been selected to participate in the Horizon Europe Program — the European Union’s 9th Framework Programme for Research & Innovation (2021–2027). The Espírito Santo–based company Mito Games will develop an R&I project in collaboration with researchers and entrepreneurs from Portugal, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Denmark.

The project to be carried out by Mito Games is entitled “GoDigiBios – Biodiversity loss mitigation and adaptation measures: Policies, Governance and tools to foster transformative change.” The initiative is scheduled to last 36 months and received €50,000 in funding from Fapes for its execution.

“International calls such as these usually bring together research groups from Brazil and Europe to work jointly, especially universities that are part of the Horizon Europe program. Consortia typically involve three to four countries working together around a shared challenge, which is generally more complex,” said Celso Saibel, Fapes’ Technical-Scientific Director.

He added: “Rafael Lontra, in addition to working at Mito Games, is a master’s student in Belgium and took advantage of the Horizon Europe opportunity to associate his company with an international consortium. Today, he is the lead researcher and entrepreneur of a project that brings together eight countries, with the support of the Government of Espírito Santo, through Fapes, which joined the international call to strengthen the internationalization of research and innovation in Espírito Santo.”

Rafael Teixeira, better known as Rafael Lontra, is the Product Director at Mito Games. For him, Fapes’ support has been essential:

“Within Horizon Europe, we are responsible for securing our own funding from our home country, meaning we cannot directly use European program resources. We are very grateful for all the support provided by Fapes,” explained Lontra.

“We will expand our international ties, learn a great deal from our international partners, grow our portfolio, and be part of something truly significant — something that can have a major and lasting impact on the preservation of our planet,” he added.

Mito Games Project Brings Biodiversity into the World of Games

According to Rafael Lontra, the project aims to translate the complex and region-specific topic of biodiversity into a more accessible and human-centered language.

“The project will conduct an extensive survey of best practices and includes four ‘laboratories,’ which we call T-Labs, serving as concrete examples of these practices. Each T-Lab will give rise to multiple actions and provide a reliable source of data that we will use as the basis for creating a gamified experience. The goal is to translate the complex dynamics involved in such a multifaceted topic. For example: what is the impact of airport expansion on nearby forest areas? Or of river siltation and population growth? Among many others,” explained the company director.

Lontra also described how the project connects directly to the company’s core activities:

“Mito Games plays a fundamental role in translating all these data, models, and studies into a serious game that will be used by decision-makers across Europe, enabling them to better understand the impacts that different actions can have on local biodiversity.”

“It is a partnership between the Belgian company Myth Jeux [the Belgian counterpart of Mito Games] and Mito Games. Myth Jeux is responsible for the entire game design and the intelligence behind the game, while Mito Games, with its extensive expertise, not only helps assess the theoretical aspects but is mainly responsible for materializing the game — publishing it and keeping it operational throughout the project’s duration and for three additional years afterward,” he emphasized.

Espírito Santo Science on Equal Footing with the European Union

According to Fapes’ Technical-Scientific Director, Celso Saibel, participation in international consortia has directly contributed to strengthening innovation and research in Espírito Santo.

“We are training and qualifying professionals here in Espírito Santo who are capable of operating on equal footing with our colleagues in the European Union. This is extremely important because, in seeking to raise the quality of scientific and technological output in the state and in Brazil, this exchange within international consortia allows us to understand how work is conducted abroad — and to demonstrate that we have highly skilled professionals, prepared to overcome challenges and perform at a high level, as required in European projects,” he stressed.

What Is Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, running from 2021 to 2027. Its objective is to support Brazilian participation in its calls and to strengthen Europe’s knowledge base through frontier research, stimulate innovation, support the development and demonstration of innovative solutions, and contribute to the recovery of industry and the economy.

Press Information:
Fapes Communication Office
Samantha Nepomuceno | Igor Gonçalves
+55 (27) 3636-1867 | 3636-1858
comunicacao@fapes.es.gov.br