By Andrea Hargraves 
The company that received from the state government Donate the amount of 8,200m² of Space science He broke the silence for the first time this Tuesday (6). to me jcJoão Pedro Flecha de Lima, CEO of Recife CO, denied the lack of dialogue with the museum and defended the importance of the installation of submarine cables and the data center in Pernambuco – in addition to the planned location.
The topic started gaining public discussion just over three weeks ago, when it was trending Espaço Ciência claimed to have received an email From the aforementioned company, it requests the removal of equipment from an area of 8,200 square meters from the museum. Therefore, packing has begun to prevent the equipment from being disassembled.
Pedro stated that, in fact, the email was sent, but in a “friendly” way, with the aim of preparing the ground and starting the installation of the Technological Center – which has been studied since 2017, with the support of the State Government and the Recife City Hall, with the aim of improving the Internet capacity available in Pernambuco .
In several interviews with the director of Espaço Ciencia, Antonio Carlos Pavao, said he approves of the use Part of the land for the production of cables, which will be integrated into the educational dynamism without prejudice to the museum. He demands the cancellation of the donation, arguing that it will affect the project.
The scientific community has been supportive of Pavão, while supervisory bodies are investigating the donation. last week, for example, The Ministry of Public Accounts (MPC-PE) requested comment of the law that ceded the territory, while asking the state government many questions—many of which Flecha answers below, in an exclusive interview with jc🇧🇷
Interview with Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima:
Jornal do Commercio: What is the significance of the technology that you intend to install on the donated land and what benefits will it bring to Pernambuco?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: Undersea cables are responsible for 98% of the world’s Internet traffic. Therefore, by installing an undersea cable access terminal, combined with a data center, all internet and telecom users will benefit.
Journal do Comercio: Can you explain better how submarine cables work?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: This is how global communication works. They are cables launched to the seafloor, tailored, tailored to each track, with an optical fiber – or some optical fiber in it – a 2cm cable, carrying a large capacity, connecting the world’s data centers. So when you do a search, many times you don’t know, but you walk into a data center in the US, in Europe; After all, this is how the industry works.
Jenny: Why did you choose the exact location within Espaço Ciência?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: This space has been indicated by in-depth research that took into account navigation methods and anchor releases from ships, by mapping the fishing industry, where trawling is used or not, by environmental research of the sea floor, where coral reefs are located. We have not identified another possibility.
The waterfront in Recife is a highly built waterfront that also has natural challenges to overcome. So with all that in mind, that space, which was a union space, and the project asked to separate that little 6% lot (of the museum) so the station could be built there.
Jimmy Carter: This Monday (5), IPHAN reported that it did not approve any project And that the area specified for the establishment of the data center is “non-structural” because it harms the landscape. How do you get it?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: There is no such possibility (in terms of Iphan’s claims) as it is a ground floor development. It is below a nearby bridge, its maximum height. There is nothing to worry about that. It will be about five meters by five and a half meters.
Jenny: One of the main questions raised by the Ministry of Public Accounts of Pernambuco (MPC-PE) was how two companies with a capital of R$10,000 could invest US$50 million each in the technology hub. We also ask this question: how is it possible?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: The company was created just for this. Therefore, it is established with low capital, and as investments are made, it is incorporated into the capital. Today, it is incorporated into the holding company, the company that consists of two. This is normal, because when projects of this kind are implemented, investors and the financial community are not interested in the assets of the company, but in the cash flows that it will generate.
Jimmy Carter: The Monetary Policy Committee indicated that the state government has already indicated another piece of land. Where was it and why did it change?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: I heard about it, but I don’t know what happened. I’ve been working on the project for a year and a half, but I’m about five years old now. Since I got in, it was this ground that was technically chosen, because cables can’t make curves, plus environmental issues. The site indicated by the technicians, including British, Americans, and Brazilians, was on this area; da União, which is highlighted because it is where the cables will reach.
Jimmy Carter: The Arcoverde memorial area is huge; There are a lot of unused parts. Wouldn’t it be possible to bring the project into one of these parts?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: You practically don’t get to the museum, it’s a separate piece, there’s a creek, a bridge, and it’s been used very little; With Xavante’s plane in ruins, badly damaged. This is not what they say in the media. I understand that the space in Olinda is quite majestic, but this space is in Recife: and it should be, because it is associated with Recife.
Jenny: What the Director of Espaço Ciência points out is that he was never against the installation of submarine cables and that he would integrate them into the dynamics of the museum, but he did not agree to interfere with the space, such as removing equipment in the donated area. Was there a discussion in this regard with management?
Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima: What’s wrong with changing visitation? Life is made of changes. We have reached out to Espaço Ciência to incorporate the data center as an attraction in the museum. We designed a mezzanine floor to receive visitors, with space for them to see how it works, as well as a glass wall for young people to see the network management center, which are rooms with several screens. We suggested doing all of this, which would indeed require a small adjustment to the museum wheel. But there are entities that are more resistant to any adaptation.