The activity, led by the Curauma Biotechnology Center of the PUCV, not only allowed to articulate the entrepreneurial and business ecosystem at the Latin American level, but also positioned the university as an institution that participates in projects with social impact.
Sustainability, innovation and bringing together companies whose projects have an impact on society were the main themes of the "Summit Chile The Innovation and Impact Network: For Latin America and the Caribbean", a business meeting that took place in Valparaíso between October 11 and 13, thanks to the joint work of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD), Incubatec UFRO and funding from Corfo. The meeting, which was held in Chile for the first time, was organized by the Innovation and Impact Network, a group of organizations that support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to promote growth and prosperity in Latin America and the Caribbean, and is led by the Curauma Biotechnology Nucleus (NBC) of the PUCV in collaboration with the university's General Directorate of International Affairs.
The seminar brought together international speakers -such as Juan José de La Torre, CEO of Raven; María Dolores Correa, director of iCam Group Mexico, and the expert from the University of Canterbury, Ricardo Bello-, national panelists and investors, which enabled the exchange of experiences, the generation of contacts and the formation of strategic alliances between Chilean companies and international organizations present at the Summit. The balance is positive. Rolando Chamy, director of the NBC of the PUCV, affirms that the meeting meant a "strengthening of the Innovation and Impact Network, thanks to the entry of new organizations, such as the eight winners of the Empowering Innovation Challenge contest, coordinated by the World Environment Center (WEC) and the NBC of the PUCV, which - through their projects - promote the development of women, mainly in Central America".
RECOGNITION
"But the "Summit Chile The Innovation and Impact Network: For Latin America and the Caribbean" also meant a recognition of the work that the NBC has done as coordinator of the Innovation and Impact Network, since the 18 organizations that make it up unanimously requested the PUCV's R&D&I center to continue with this work for the next two years. This request "fills Rolando Chamy with pride and satisfaction", who assures that "it means that we have done a good job. The board of the Innovation and Impact Network trusts our university for its development and organization, because in a way, the network has been growing and developing on our wing." And, in a globalized world, this new period in which the NBC will coordinate the network also positions PUCV at the international level - he explains - as "a university that participates in projects that generate impact on people and not only in research projects."
"As a center we seek to generate changes in SMEs and companies that can make a difference in people's development," he adds.
