USACH’s Sinapsis platform, a hub for open innovation in sustainable development, recently brought its inaugural challenges to a close. Dubbed Usach Sostenible and Estación Futuro, these initiatives successfully mobilized the diverse talents of the university’s students, academics, graduates, and staff. The result? Applied proposals that directly address critical needs both on the Santiago campus and throughout the city, showcasing the power of connecting academic talent with real-world problems.
Leonidas Ibarra, Usach’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship emphasized that “Sinapsis represents a public university innovation model focused on achieving concrete results with significant local impact. This conclusion marks a vital step in fostering a culture of active collaboration to address the challenges we face today.”
In partnership with the university’s current Sustainability Unit, the Usach Sostenible challenge addressed three strategic areas: energy efficiency, waste management, and environmental regeneration. Proposals were received from different academic units, and three projects with implementation feasibility were selected.
The winning teams were:
Circular, a shared bicycle system made from recycled plastic, which operates by exchanging materials for time of use.
Palmeta Fotovoltaica, low-impact solar modules that allow campus spaces to be lit in a self-sufficient manner.
Campus Vivo, an environmental monitoring system that optimizes water and energy consumption and improves waste management.
“We wanted realistic solutions that could be piloted on campus. The result exceeded expectations, both in terms of the quality of the projects and the coordination of the people involved,” said Angélica Soto, sustainability coordinator at Usach.
Estación Futuro was developed in conjunction with Metro de Santiago and the Innovation Center of the Usach Faculty of Engineering, with a focus on sustainability, inclusion, and improvement of the urban environment. The winning team was:
Ciudad Vagón, a proposal that transforms vacant lots into community spaces with adaptable modular infrastructure.
“Projects like Ciudad Vagón demonstrate that by connecting our internal capabilities with the needs of our environment, we’re not just collaborating; we’re strengthening the university’s role as an active agent of innovation and social transformation,” explained Lorena Durán, head of the Usach Innovation Center. “This experience truly shows what a partnership between the university and the city can achieve, providing an effective way to test solutions in real-world contexts.”
The winning teams are currently piloting their innovative solutions across the university campus. Campus Vivo has set up environmental monitoring points within the Miyawaki forests, specifically near the kindergarten and the Las Sophoras #175 parking lot. Meanwhile, Circular is operating active bicycle stations in front of the REMS Building, and the PALF (Palmeta Fotovoltaica) project is up and running in the courtyard of the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment. These pilot programs are crucial for validating the proposals under real-world conditions, marking a significant first step towards their potential broader implementation, both within and beyond the university.
“The goal was not just to come up with good ideas, but to move toward testable solutions. The pilots are the starting point for scaling up,” said Diego San Martín, innovation coordinator.
The participating teams also valued the opportunity to bring their projects to the field.
“Becoming a winning team was an essential step that allowed us to take the idea to the field, implement the pilot, and validate our proposal in real conditions,” said Ricardo Barra, a member of the Circular team.
Martina Aguilar, a member of the winning Estación Futuro team, shared, “The Estación Futuro challenge provided an invaluable opportunity to pilot our solution in a real Santiago metro station. This kind of hands-on testing would have been incredibly difficult to achieve otherwise. Our next step is to expand this project into other disused urban areas, fostering community engagement and advancing the circular economy.”
The Sinapsis team emphasized that the true value of this experience lies not just in the excellent ideas generated, but in how those ideas were nurtured, developed, and are now creating a concrete, real-world impact.
Belén Bello, Sinapsis Open Innovation Manager and Program Manager, noted, “Our goal with Sinapsis, and our future challenge, is to continue strengthening these processes, enabling even more solutions to scale.”