The City of João Pessoa was chosen to host the 2014 Robotics World Cup (RoboCup 2014) to be held in July of that year, shortly after the FIFA World Cup. "It will be the first time that Brazil will host the event, which is one of the largest technology events in the world and is particularly known for Robot Soccer - hence the strong link with the World Cup", said Alexandre da Silva Simões, Professor of Robotics at the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP).

The Robotics Cup will receive support from the Ministry of Sports, the Government of the State of Paraíba, the City Council and the City's Convention Bureau. Securing the event was made possible by a partnership between robotics researchers from several Brazilian universities, including UNESP, FEI, UFRN UFES, UFSJ, UFCG and UNEB, as well as the Rector's office of UNESP and contributions from more than 60 researchers from the Brazilian Automation Society (SBA) and the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC).

João Pessoa competed with several other candidates including Fortaleza and Asian cities. The search for resources to make the event viable was a determining factor, and the offer of a suitable venue for the event and the use of robotics in education led to the capital of the State of Paraíba being chosen. It is estimated that around 4,000 visitors will attend RoboCup 2014.

 

Source:

Ministry of Sports