FOCUS AND INNOVATION EFFORTS AT UNIVERSIDAD MAYOR DE SAN ANDRS (UMSA)

In Bolivia, the Bolivian Innovation System (BIS) was developed by the Vice-Ministry of Science and Technology under a systemic approach at a
political level and based on national priority strategies to fight poverty, inequality reduction, food security, strengthen the strategic productive sector
in a vision of living well.

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan of the Bolivian University System (BUS) has been approved in the national university
context. With the support of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) UMSA is writing its Strategic Plan for Research, Innovation,
Postgraduate and Social Interaction 2017- 2022, framed in 6 areas (natural resources, biodiversity, environment and climate change, productive
and technological development, socio-cultural, food security with food sovereignty, health, energy and hydrocarbons) and 4 main strategic
objectives: 1) Support the generation of employment based on the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and environment,
enhancing the productive socio-economic activities of peasant communities and small and medium-sized enterprise/businesses (SME); 2) Support
the generation of economic surpluses by empowering strategic companies; 3) Promote the integral human and socio-cultural development; and 4)
Contribute to health. Under these objectives, the research institutes within UMSA have been carrying out several researches, some of them in the R
& D & I approach. These include:

"Smart ayllu"1 Program, is developing scientific knowledge that enhance productive processes such as generating added value to natural clays
with the production of fine ceramics and zeolites (an innovative absorbent product). Also, in the agricultural production, food and eco-health. These
processes are in collaboration with educational units, producer associations and the municipal government. The program works on the transversal
components (energy, health, food security, education and environment) and productive components (mining, agriculture, livestock and handicrafts),
with the aim of structuring a comprehensive socio-community-productive development instrument, in Synergy to the valorization of uses and
customs, in an intercultural vision "Smart Ayllu" in the Municipality of Colquencha. Therefore, innovation goes beyond the completion of a product,
under a sustainable development approach in a rural community where innovation, is essential for the population to improve their quality of life.

Phytotherapeutic and cosmeceuticals Program "Chillkaflam2", an innovative phytotherapeutic product (natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic
cream) was produced, is the result of the collaboration of a multidisciplinary group at UMSA and the pharmaceutical company LAFAR S.A. The
purpose of this program is to obtain phytotherapeutic and cosmeceuticals products from natural resources ready to be industrialized based on a
productive chain that starts in the rural inhabitants and ends in the phytotherapeutic drug as active principle of a natural extract that must be
controlled to guarantee its safety and fundamental efficacy in order to be competitive in the market.

Antioxidants Program in Bolivian foods. Since 20053, antioxidants occurrence in Andean grains (caahua, quinoa, tarwi), tubers (oca, ullucu,
potato), strawberries and grapes and -glucans oats at high altitude were investigated. Starting in 2011 4 researchers at UMSA in collaboration with
researchers from the Lund University continue working with oats, quinoa and its derivatives, as a result of the scientific research, a new company
were created, SWEBOL Biotech which is a consortium of actors on the Bolivian side (UMSA + companies) and on the Swedish side (Lund
University + companies).

Prevalent Disease Prevention Program5, the epidemiology of the main viral and bacterial pathogens of Acute Diarrheal Diseases (ADD) is being
investigated, characterizing the main mechanisms of pathogenicity and virulence, determining the epidemiological and economic burden of the
disease and identifying rotavirus as the leading cause of diarrhea in children younger than 2 years. In 2010 the program managed to develop a
vaccine against this disease, currently the vaccine is applied experimentally and has 70% effectiveness. The project aims to contribute to the
knowledge of the impact of viral and bacterial pathogens of acute diarrheal diseases in Bolivia, in order to establish a baseline for vaccination
programs and search for prevention and control strategies.

Making innovation in the UMSA from the needs of different demanding sectors has not been an easy task for researchers and institutes, since it
was necessary to have an Innovation Unit that design the UMSA System and manages and facilitates these co-productive processes in a trans-
disciplinary way for the development and transfer of research results, as far as scientific and/or technological knowledge of the university
community is concerned, either through policies, strategies and mechanisms in order to establish relations between the academy and the applicant
sector (State, Public and private entities, social organizations and society as a whole).

Since 2008, ASDI has decided to strengthen the innovation management of in the research activities led by the UMSA. So the consolidation of an
Innovation Unit at UMSA through the incorporation of Innovation Managers, since 2016, was the first step to structure the interaction and
facilitate certain processes with priority sectors. The unit, based on the existing experience in innovation at UMSA, is identifying internal and
external stakeholders for the formation of networks in specified programs, facilitating the design of strategies for transfer knowledge/technology with
the creation of regulations on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), generating an innovative culture in the lecturers, researchers and junior
researchers (students); linking strategic allies for directing economic funds (Foundation for the Development of the National System of Protected
Areas, Bank of Productive Development, others), within the framework of the UMSA's innovation system. This system is framed in 4 components:
1) Structure and innovation management; 2) Strengthening of research in innovation; 3) Interaction and transfer of results and 4) Human capacity
building. Articulating research and development (Faculties, Careers, Institutes and others), ending in innovation processes (Towards the State,
Private Companies and Society) that contribute to the growing generation of income, development and competitiveness inside and outside the
UMSA.

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1. Research carried out since 2007 to date. Coordinator Sal Cabrera PhD, Researcher Professor of Chemical Research and Engineer Mario Blanco, Institutions of Geological
Research and Environment. Multidisciplinary team (5 UMSA institutes, 3 international institutions, post and undergraduate thesis). +15 publications. Funds: SIDA, IDH, JICA,
SDC.
2. Research done since 2004, product obtained in 2012 and on the market in 2016. Coordinator Giovanna Almanza, Director of the Institute of Chemical Research.
Multidisciplinary team (5 institutes UMSA, 1 private company, post thesis and undergraduate). Funds: HDI, SIDA, OAS, AECID.
3. Research carried out in MSc Coordination. Juan Alvarado, Researcher Professor of Chemical Research. Multidisciplinary team. Funds: HDI, SIDA.
4. Research carried out in Coordination with Mauricio Pearrieta PhD, Researcher teacher. Institute of Chemical Research. Multidisciplinary team. Funds: HDI, SIDA.
5. Research carried out since 2000. Coordinator Volga Iiguez, Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Funds: HDI, SIDA.