Strategic alliance: Introducing the Chile-Finland platform for Development and Technological Transfer
The project will last five years and will be implemented jointly by the Fundación Chile and the VTT Technical center of Finland. "It is a bridge that will allow companies and entrepreneurs from both countries to develop, test, and scale innovations globally," said the Finnish Ambassador to Chile, Johanna Kotkajärvi.
Chile and Finland announced this Tuesday, August 12, the launch of a partnership aimed at boosting the global leadership of both countries in the development of innovative technological solutions and new businesses focused on sustainable mining, decarbonization and adaptation to climate change, and the sustainability of relevant economic sectors.
The alliance will be actualized through an initiative called the "Chile-Finland Platform for Development and Technological Transfer", approved by the Council of the Corporation for Production Development (Corfo), during its session on August 4th. The primary goal is to enhance local capacities for the development, adaptation, and scaling of high-impact technologies for decarbonization and adaptation to climate change. It will drive co-creation and co-innovation efforts between companies and strategic production sectors, regional governments, technological transfer centers, and other relevant actors from the Chilean ecosystem, and R&D companies and institutions from Finland, mobilizing talent and promoting scientific-technological base entrepreneurship.
PROGRAM WILL EXTEND FOR 5 YEARS
The platform will have an initial duration of five years and will be financed with up to US$20 million by Corfo, through the R&D contribution of lithium contracts, something similar to a "seed capital" to boost its installation and development.
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The total budget of the project, meanwhile, will exceed US$50 million thanks to the leveraging of resources from the Finnish ecosystem and other national and international financing funds.
Fundación Chile and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
The project Platform will be jointly implemented by Fundación Chile and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which is dependent on the Ministry of Economy and Employment of the Republic of Finland, one of Europe's leading technological research and development institutions.
The role of both entities will be to accomplish the main objectives of the initiative: to transfer the technical knowledge and experience of Finland to strengthen the R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystems in Chile; to advance in sophistication and scaling of Chilean companies and ventures through technological co-development between Finland and Chile; and to increase the exportation from Chile of technological solutions, contributing to position both countries as global suppliers capable of addressing productive, environmental, and social challenges in the value chains of key industries.
During its implementation, the project will advance in three strategic lines: sustainable mining (where ENAMI will act as a key ally), intelligent, sustainable and resilient territorial development, and a systemic approach to high-potential industries for decarbonisation.
COLLABORATIVE FINNISH MODEL, SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION
The project is part of the efforts of the Chilean Government, through Corfo, to advance in productive transformation and sustainable development based on the challenges and opportunities that the triple environmental crisis generates for the country in various industrial activities, technologies, and new businesses.
In addition to this, there is the interest of Finland, one of the most developed countries in the world and a leader in innovation, who seeks to participate in global value chains associated with sustainability and stands out for its experience in the development of clean technologies, circular economy and sustainable management of natural resources.
The Ambassador of Finland to Chile, Johanna Kotkajärvi, maintained that "the Finnish innovation model is based on a collaborative approach between the public sector, the private sector, and research centers, and we believe it is very important to promote international collaboration to continue strengthening innovation ecosystems".
She added that, "Sustained investment in R&D has been fundamental for Finland's transformation into the innovative country we know today, and we see great opportunities for Chile in this binational alliance that leverages national and international resources for sustainable development and technology transfer with a real impact."
During the launching ceremony, the Ambassador of Finland in Chile highlighted the potentialities of this platform "it is therefore an unprecedented opportunity to connect talent, technology, and vision on a truly global scale. It's a bridge that will enable companies and entrepreneurs from both countries to develop, test, and scale innovations that answer the most urgent challenges of our era. I am confident that this is just the first step of a path that will lead us to generate real impact not only in Finland and Chile, but all over the world".
"We deeply value Finland's commitment to sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation, and we see in this link a strategic opportunity to diversify our production matrix, strengthen our research, development, and innovation ecosystem and move towards a knowledge-based economy. An approach that is fully aligned with our foreign policy, which seeks to build bridges to drive projects that allow us to achieve a tangible and lasting impact on Chile's development," stated the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alberto van Klaveren.
"We trust that this collaboration will strengthen the bilateral relationship and contribute sustainably and permanently to the progress of our nations and the well-being of our communities," added the Secretary of State, who also highlighted that "since 1931, Chile and Finland have maintained a dialogue characterized by mutual trust."
"This agreement with Finland allows us to progress in a historical challenge: to grow more, generate quality jobs, and at the same time, reduce environmental impact. It is a concrete alliance, with a focus on strategic sectors such as sustainable mining and committed resources, which seeks to turn innovation and technology into real benefits for our countries," stated the Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism, Nicolás Grau.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEAR OBJECTIVES: IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS BY CREATING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES
For his part, the executive vice president of Corfo, José Miguel Benavente, explained that "over the last few decades and through various public policy instruments, the State has promoted the strengthening of Chile's research, development and innovation (R&D+I) ecosystem, seeking to generate a larger supply of knowledge and technological development capabilities. However, various assessments and global innovation rankings show that weaknesses persist in the country in terms of scaling and commercializing technological solutions, as well as insufficient orienting of R&D+I efforts towards the needs and challenges of the productive sector, which requires interventions like the one we are presenting today, with a sectoral or value chain logic, to improve competitiveness and create sustainable economies that benefit society and the environment in the medium and long term".
The general manager of Fundación Chile, Hernán Araneda, stated that "this platform marks a before and after for Chile. We take on the leadership of this binational network with commitment, reinforcing our purpose of contributing to a sustainable economic development. Through this alliance, Fundación Chile will have new technological capabilities to drive the development of scientific technology-based ventures, coordinating the supply and demand of sophisticated innovation on key issues to tackle climate change and promote new industries sustainably".
From the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, its executive vice president of Carbon Neutrality, Jussi Manninen, along with the Business Development Manager of the same line, Andro Lindsay, emphasized that "we strongly believe in the power of international collaboration to drive science, technological development and impactful innovation. To succeed, we must create the right conditions that catalyze companies' R&D activities".
"This public investment from Corfo should drive significant private investments in R&D, combining the strengths of the Finnish technology ecosystem with Chile's productive potential to co-develop sustainable solutions to shared systemic challenges; that can scale globally and, at the same time, generate tangible benefits for Chilean society. This platform represents an unprecedented opportunity to connect talent, technology, and vision on a global scale, turning shared challenges into revolutionary innovations with real and measurable impact," they added.
Fundación Chile will be the recipient of the R&D Contribution and, consequently, the first to be responsible to Corfo for achieving the articulation of the ecosystems of the respective countries, allowing the participation of business sectors and various public and private actors relevant to the prioritized themes, focusing on the final stages of technological development, enhancing and bringing solutions to different industries, working closely with the demand and real challenges of different sectors.