Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC): Entrepreneurship, investment and circular economy

The Lab to Market international seminar has been a great opportunity to establish regional strategic alliances between researchers, academics, entrepreneurs and the public and private sectors focused on the development of enterprises with a positive impact on the environment. “We are convinced that through this university contribution, especially from the UC Transfer and Development Department, we will have a real impact on the way we imagine new forms of innovation and entrepreneurship based on the new knowledge generated in universities. ”, points out the rector Ignacio Sánchez in a column published by La Tercera, Pulso.

“A meeting was recently held at our university -and in the extraordinary environment of the MAVI UC museum-, a meeting that we have called Lab to Market , an opportunity to promote and strengthen the link between researchers, academics, investors and entrepreneurs. Thus, the academy, with the collaboration of CORFOand the private company, has developed a space for fruitful and forward-looking dialogue. At the Catholic University we are convinced that it is necessary to permanently promote the transfer of research results, particularly those with potential social and economic impact, and for more than ten years now, we have been making enormous efforts to increase and strengthen the relationship between the parts of this true circular economy.

This international seminar has been part of that effort, since we consider the role of universities to be key in the economic and social development of the country. We know that it is in our institutions where new knowledge is created, which is not enough, since to achieve the expected results, it is necessary to coordinate our researchers with the public and private sectors in order to promote entrepreneurship so that new and varied products and services, which arise from these investigations, are transferred to society. The evidence shows us that many science-technology-based enterprises fail to develop or grow due to lack of knowledge and support from investors in the early stages of the projects. Hence the relevance of meeting spaces like this, whose objective has been precisely to activate the innovation and transfer ecosystem, with the presence of national and international experts. On this occasion, we have focused interest on those ventures and businesses that can have a positive impact on the environment and sustainability.

“At the Catholic University we are convinced that it is necessary to permanently promote the transfer of research results, particularly those with potential social and economic impact, and for more than ten years now, we have been making enormous efforts to increase and strengthen the relationship between the parts of this true circular economy” – rector Ignacio Sánchez

During the days of the seminar there were various opportunities to exchange experiences and to have a greater knowledge of best practices in the area, through interesting presentations by prominent exponents from various countries, such as Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Colombia. Similarly, the guests gave workshops aimed at entrepreneurs on methodologies for the promotion of strategies and circular business models. In this way, it is proposed that research and the generation of new knowledge should be aimed at generating solutions to problems in the social and productive sector. For this, it is necessary to generate a change of perspective that enhances the entrepreneurial spirit and facilitates the link between industry, academia and the public sector.

Undoubtedly, in the universities we have a great capital of knowledge with the capacity to be converted, through adequate transfer, into products with high scientific and commercial potential. The articulation of academia, the State, civil society foundations and the private sector is essential for the innovation and technology transfer ecosystem, as is the expansion of networking between universities, both national and international. It is what we have called the four-leaf clover of transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The evidence shows us that many scientific-technologically based enterprises fail to develop or grow due to the lack of knowledge and support from investors in the early stages of the projects” – rector Ignacio Sánchez

In short, this Seminar has meant a great opportunity to establish strategic regional alliances between researchers, academics, entrepreneurs and the public and private sectors focused on the development of enterprises with a positive impact on the environment. We are convinced that through this university contribution, especially from the UC Transfer and Development Department , we will have a real impact on the way we imagine new forms of innovation and entrepreneurship based on the new knowledge generated in universities. It is part of our public commitment, which we assume with conviction and responsibility”.