Edificio Federico Santa María will receive a cycle of dialogues on the future of science and technology in Chile

Experts from the public, private and academic world will address various issues related to the challenges of policies in this matter, in order to create a critical and constructive space in CTCI in the Valparaíso Region.

The Federico Santa María Technical University, together with the University of Valparaíso, the Ecosystem of Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the Valparaíso Region (Eiva) and the Institute of Complex Systems of Valparaíso, has organized the Cycle “Dialogues and territorial perspectives: challenges in science, technology, knowledge and innovation policies in Chile 2023”, in order to promote a space for critical and constructive dialogue on this matter in the Region.

The inaugural session of this cycle, entitled “Models of economic and social development”, is scheduled for this Thursday, June 29, starting at 5:00 p.m., in the Federico Santa María building, an emblematic building that has housed the Stock Exchange for 91 years. de Valparaíso, located at Calle Prat 790, in the heart of the port city’s stock market.

In the first meeting, Andrés Zahler, advisor on innovation and development policies of the Ministry of Economy, and Elías Albagli, manager of the Monetary Policy Division of the Central Bank, will participate as panelists. It will be moderated by Fabiola Cabrera, a researcher in the economic area and parliamentary technical advisor of the National Library of Congress.

Space for reflection and debate

Regarding this initiative, which will take place monthly until December, the general director of Links with the Environment of the USM, María José Escobar, pointed out that “it is a great opportunity to listen and build together, from the Valparaíso Region, what We wish for the future of science, technology, knowledge and innovation in our country. In particular, for us it is also very relevant that our Federico Santa María Building is an active space for reflection, which allows us to connect with the city, both with its problems and its desires”.

Along the same lines, and as explained by Dr. Adrián Palacios in Neuroscience, professor at the University of Valparaíso and member of the event’s organizing committee, together with María José Escobar and Juan Espinosa, from USM; the cycle of “Territorial Dialogues and Perspectives” arises from the need to invite the Region to reflect and discuss public policies in the field of CTCI in the country.

“The Region needs to be actively involved in the creation of a public space from which to promote the development of a critical and constructive dialogue on the CTCI in Chile. We hope through this cycle of dialogues to bring together different actors involved both in the development of Policies for CTCI and in their implementation to reflect and discuss the best strategy for the sector. The goal is to consider how these policies can influence and support the regional development of Valparaíso, promoting a robust and collaborative CTCI ecosystem that can face social and sustainability challenges”.

The cycle of dialogues will address topics such as the development of country policies and strategies for the CTCI, intersectoral collaboration, technology and knowledge transfer, support for startups and technology-based companies (EBCT), alignment with the global objectives of sustainability and equity, and citizen participation.

“Today, the elaboration of different strategies for CTCI, including inclusion, gender equality and social and economic sustainability, opens the debate on the different scenarios for their implementation, since the regions are unique in their territorial and cultural characteristics. . In this cycle of dialogues we will reflect on how policies for the CTCI can be effectively formulated and implemented at the regional level. This cycle contemplates bringing together different actors from the academy, public and private sectors to present various sectoral points of view and then debate and reflect on the challenges, opportunities and impact for the Valparaíso Region of strategies and public policy in the field of CTCI. The debate opens, then, the possibility of analyzing the diversity that is required to address complex phenomena such as science, technology, knowledge and regional innovation policies, ”he explained.

Citizen participation

This cycle of six sessions, which will take place once a month and will culminate in November of this year, also stands out for its accessibility to the community, which will allow the participation of the general public interested in the discussion on CTCI.

Along these lines, Dr. Palacios highlighted that the active participation of society and the scientific community is essential for the success of this process of dialogue and exchange of ideas. Therefore, the cycle seeks to promote the participation “in situ” of students, academics and the general public interested in these issues. During each day of the cycle, there will be an opportunity to present ideas, ask questions to the experts and generate an inclusive discussion space.

Role of the Ministry of Science, universities and companies

For the researcher, the Ministry of Science plays a crucial role in this cycle of dialogues, providing the necessary vision and guidance to formulate and implement effective CTCI policies.

“The ministry has a multifaceted role in the field of the CTCI. First, it establishes and develops a National Policy and Strategy for the CTCI based on objectives, actions and instruments, giving shape and direction to the development of the CTCI at the national level. However, it also works as a facilitator, fostering participation and collaboration among various actors in the CTCI field, including other government instances and agencies at the national and international level. Importantly, as a member of the CTCI regional committees through the seremis, the ministry becomes an essential element for collaboration and development of regional strategies in this field”.

Dr. Palacios also stated that, with the objective of strengthening collaboration between universities, the public and private sector and other key actors, strategic associations and collaborations will be promoted, together with the development and formulation of joint projects: “It will seek to promote research associative and interdisciplinary, improve the transfer of technology and knowledge, and support the creation and growth of startups and EBCT. Likewise, effective communication and collaboration channels will be established between the different actors to guarantee that their perspectives and interests are taken into account in the development and implementation of CTCI policies”.

Professor Palacios, on behalf of the sponsoring institutions, invited the entire community to participate in these meetings. Spaces are limited and prior registration is required at the following link: https://bit.ly/dialogosctci/.

Sources: USM and UV.