With the aim of strengthening strategic collaboration between academia and defense institutions, the University of Santiago, Chile, through its Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation (VRIIC), presented its institutional model for R&D&I&E at an innovation seminar held at the Chilean Air Force (FACH) Space Directorate.
The event brought together authorities, researchers, and professionals from both institutions to share experiences and explore opportunities for technological, strategic, and productive collaboration.
The event was opened by Air Force Colonel Héctor Contreras Cofré, director of the National Space Center, who highlighted the relevance of the meeting: “The Air Force is a technological institution, but we still need to deeply understand what innovation is. In that sense, Usach's experience is valuable in assessing whether we are on the right track and how to improve our processes.”
The seminar was led by Dr. Alberto Monsalve González, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Creation at Usach, who underscored the importance of synergy between the civilian and military worlds: "The union between both worlds generates enormous benefits, as has been seen in other countries. Scientific knowledge must be transformed into technology and, ultimately, into sustainable businesses. Our model seeks precisely that: research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship as integrated pillars."
The Vice-Rector took the opportunity to present the scientific and technological capabilities of the university, which today has more than 400 researchers, 1,000 annual publications, more than 200 patents, and seven active spin-offs, which are ventures led by researchers from our faculty.
The second presentation was given by Leonidas Ibarra, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Dinem), who detailed how the innovation ecosystem is managed within Usach: “Our university, with its nine faculties, has a very diverse development capacity. Today, we not only conduct research, but also manage consortia, incubators, and scaling models, generating a real impact on society.”
He highlighted the coordinated work with the public and private sectors and the importance of cultural change within institutions: “Innovation is not just about creating technology, but also about transforming processes, breaking inertia, and creating conditions for new ideas to emerge and be sustained,” he said.
Public Innovation: Beyond Technology
Diego San Martín, coordinator of Public Innovation at Dinem, focused on the value of innovation in the public sphere: “Innovation does not always translate into a product. Often, innovating in procedures, policies, or methods can have a greater and more direct impact on citizens. Our strategy is based on collaboration, creativity, and impact assessment.”
He also highlighted the role of institutional measurement as a driver of continuous improvement: “Measuring capabilities and gaps is key. At Usach, for example, we train more than 2,500 officials in public innovation, generating more than 250 ambassadors of internal change.”
Science and Technology-based Companies
Finally, Alex Ortega, manager of the Innovo-Usach Business Incubator, presented the work carried out by the university incubator and the model for supporting science and technology-based companies (EBCT): "EBCTs are essential for the transition from an extractive economy to a knowledge-based one. They are not traditional companies: they require greater investment, time, and specialization, but their impact is exponential," he said.
He also highlighted that Innovo has successfully positioned ventures in various countries and is currently working with a strategic portfolio of technologies with global potential.
The meeting concluded with a visit to the construction site of the National Space Center (CEN) in Cerrillos, which is scheduled to open at the end of this year. With 90% of the work already completed, this center seeks to position Chile as a regional leader in space technology, promoting national capabilities in Earth observation, satellite control, data analysis, and entrepreneurship.
The 5,800 m² infrastructure will include laboratories for satellite development, data science, and technological innovation, as well as a mission control center. It will also have high-performance supercomputers capable of processing large volumes of geospatial information, reducing analysis times from months to hours.