Over 2 thousand people visited Innovafest 2024, northern Chile’s largest innovation, science and technology fair

This October 24 and 25, the Antofagasta community had a chance to learn more about innovative local technologies providing solutions to everyday and industrial problems, while entrepreneurs, students and scholars exchanged experiences and networked to position Antofagasta as a hub of technological development, especially in its most relevant industries like mining, energy, lithium, green hydrogen and circular economy. This in the second version of INNOVAFEST, northern Chile’s largest innovation, science, technology and entrepreneurship fair.

Hernán Cáceres, executive director of Parque Científico Tecnológico (PCT), commented: “INNOVAFEST was the embodiment of our central mission at PCT, which is to facilitate and strengthen research systems, technological development and innovation in technology transfer. We are fulfilling our mission in part by bringing together over 60 exhibitors and thousands of people. The event confirmed that we can organize new initiatives to contribute to the country’s and society’s development and improve people’s quality of life, so we are very happy about the large crowd drawn by the event.”

For his part, Pablo Pisani, Community Affairs Manager for SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition, commented: “We are very pleased to have participated in this second version of the innovation, science and technology fair. For us it is a very powerful initiative created right here in our region. We appreciate PCT’s work to create value from innovation with entrepreneurs and the different versions of entrepreneurship coming from education, academics, the public sector. Today we have built a very powerful space that we want to grow and expand further. Therefore we invite everyone to learn more about what is happening in these powerful spaces for dialogue, conversation and creation. We believe this is precisely what we need in our innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Cristian Cuevas, the Science Ministry’s regional representative for the northern macrozone, commented: “INNOVAFEST is a meeting point between academia, the public and private sectors, science and tech entrepreneurs and its purpose is to energize an area where Chile has many challenges, that of technology transfer. In addition, it comes from a region that the world has its eye on with many comparative advantages—the cleanest skies, lithium deposits, salt flats, biodiverse ecosystems and potential for biotech development, ideal radiation levels for photovoltaic energy generation, green hydrogen development. Although there is scientific development in this line, we must move towards technology transfer and INNOVAFEST is a meeting point that creates a space for collaboration, cooperation and trust.”

Innovafest 2024 was organized by Parque Científico Tecnológico and Universidad Católica del Norte, with support from SQM as the event’s official sponsor. Other collaborators included Programa Fortalece Pyme Antofagasta, Nodo Desierto Vivo, Colbún, Centro Oftalmológico Láser, Consorcio Heuma, Agua Cúmulus, Importadora Vima y Nilos SPA, along with regional officials from the Science, Economy and Energy ministries, Ceduc UCN Antofagasta, Pro Chile, Proyecto Lithium I+D+i, Clúster de Minería, Clúster de Energía, Enjoy Anfotagasta and AntofaLatte.