A total of nine projects, five of them led by women, were winners of the latest version of the Fundación Copec-UC’s Research, Development and Innovation Contests, in its two modalities, R&D to Innovate and Apply your Idea 2022.

Both calls aim to support innovative proposals, oriented to solve a relevant challenge, preferably focused on natural resources and energy. While R&D to Innovate is intended for researchers from universities, companies, individuals, startups and foundations, who have good ideas previously validated, Apply your Idea 2022 is aimed at higher education students, as a way to encourage young people to approach the world of research and entrepreneurship.

During the ceremony, Roberto Angelini, president of Fundación Copec-UC, said that “all these projects are evidence that the country has enormous opportunities to consolidate itself as a regional innovation hub, through the generation of a link between entrepreneurs, academia and business.” He also celebrated the large participation of women in the contest.

The Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry, congratulated the researchers and highlighted their “perseverance, even stubbornness in some cases, to insist, to try, to make mistakes, and when that bears fruit, the result is almost like a child.”

Awardees will receive financial support and expert advice on technical, commercial, legal and intellectual property management issues.

This year’s competitions were also launched on the occasion.