During the 18th edition of the Avonni National Innovation Award, Pedro Ibáñez Santa María received the Anacleto Angelini Innovative Career Award, granted by Empresas Copec, in recognition of his visionary contribution to the country’s development through entrepreneurship, sustainability, and philanthropy.

Founder of Explora Hotels and architect of the educational model at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Ibáñez has been crucial in connecting the private sector with social and cultural value creation.

The ceremony also saw the launch of the Copec Avonni Future Challenge, a new initiative promoted by the subsidiary Copec that seeks to inspire and promote innovative solutions from higher education to the country. Its first edition will take place in 2026 and aims to empower young people who are already thinking differently and committed to a transformative vision of the future.

The ceremony was attended by authorities including Aldo Valle, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation; Maisa Rojas, Minister of Environment; Bernardo Martorell, Undersecretary of Healthcare Networks; representatives from academia; and leaders from the business world and the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.