Dr. Yash Kotak partook in the BRIDGES mobility program and visited Brazil between the 28th of November and 13th of December in 2025. He was welcomed by the Fotovoltaica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) team: Prof. Ricardo Rüther, Dr. Aline Kirsten, Dr. Eduardo Martins Deschamps, Mr. Daniel Santos, and a few other colleagues.
Dr. Kristen guided him on a facility tour, which was followed by a productive discussion on advancing the BRIDGES project and strengthening collaborative ties between Germany and Brazil. The meeting brought together members of the Fotovoltaica UFSC team, Dr. Kotak, and Prof. Schweiger from THI.
During his stay, Dr. Kotak was also invited to attend a seminar on Electric Hydrogen organized by the Fotovoltaica UFSC team. The seminar featured presentations by Mr. Raffi Garabedian and Mr. Dave Eaglesham, who introduced their company, Electric Hydrogen (EH2), and shared insights into their ongoing research activities. This event provided an excellent opportunity to expand professional networks in Brazil and further promote the objectives of the BRIDGES project.
In addition, Dr. Kotak had the opportunity to meet Prof. Sebastian Zapata from the Escuela de Ingeniería de Antioquia (EIA University, Envigado, Colombia) through Prof. Mauricio Uriona Maldonado of UFSC. Several meetings were held among the three researchers to explore opportunities for trilateral collaboration between Germany, Brazil, and Colombia. Discussions focused on developing impactful projects that integrate research, innovation, and international cooperation.
Furthermore, a visit to the Observatório FIESC at the Federação das Indústrias de Santa Catarina was organized by Prof. Maldonado and Prof. Caroline Vaz from UFSC. The purpose of this visit was to gain insight into the activities and operations of Observatório FIESC and to explore possibilities for future collaboration in research initiatives. The meeting included Marcelo Masera de Albuquerque from Observatório FIESC, Prof. Maldonado, Prof. Vaz, Prof. Zapata, and Dr. Kotak.