1/19/22, 6:51 PM VRIP – Innovation Center for the Biobío Region

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Innovation Center for the Biobío Region

Innovation Center for the Biobío Region

Publication date: Tuesday 27, June, 2017

   

Dreaming of the region we want, and working to make it a reality, is an exercise that invites us to put into practice the skills and sense of
collaboration of an entire community, even more so when the region has a low rate of competitiveness on the national and international
stage, that is when requires greater cohesion and participation.

The lack of links between relevant actors linked to the scientific-technological system with the regional productive apparatus is usually
associated with the absence of collaborative spaces in the region, and precisely the creation of the Center for Sustainable Innovation at the
University of Bío-Bío has the objective to increase the collaboration and articulation of actors. Promoting creativity for innovation and
entrepreneurship at the level of schools, colleges and universities, where teachers, academics and researchers are linked with companies,
the State and civil society, in short, a space for innovation open to the entire community.

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It has been shown that the places of cooperation that have hosted innovators and entrepreneurs such as coworkings, labs, fabLabs or
desigLabs and Hubs, are
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ecosystems that contribute to the creation of creative communities, where the different attendees, businessmen,
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academics, students, entrepreneurs and others can connect, work together, develop innovation and entrepreneurship, a common space and
access to service networks is key.

At the international level, initiatives such as Barcelona Activa, Impact Hub in Madrid, the Harvard Innovation Laboratory (i-lab) in the United
States, the Oxford Hub in England, are some of the international experiences that have been successful in linking diverse actors for the
development of their countries.

When analyzing the national and regional offer, it can be seen that there is a shortage of places and sufficient infrastructure that contribute
to generating an innovative ecosystem in the Biobío Region.

Undoubtedly, the construction of the Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Bío-Bío will allow greater university-company
links by generating entrepreneurship at the level of students, professionals and academics, through technology transfer activities, technical
assistance, I contracts +D, associated with intellectual property results, such as licensing and sale of patents, among others.

This project is directly linked to the Regional Innovation Strategy and its science and technology policy, mainly in the objective of
transforming Science and Technology into the engine that drives the development of the Region that aim to strengthen the formation of
human capital for the exercise of citizenship and inclusive and sustainable economic growth .

Edification

The project contemplates the construction of a 5-level building, it will have an Innovation Hub, coworking and creativity spaces, Fab Lab,
multimedia library, workshop-seminar room and administrative offices, and was entrusted to one of the most outstanding architects of
Concepcion, Mauricio Pezo. The concept delivered by him was to generate spaces that encourage innovation, creativity and collaborative
work.

“ This is an apparently simple, stable and regular building that contains an extraordinary and unexpected interior. This is the world
of innovation; a continuous, fluid and open space that literally and perceptually translates the very creative process of academic
practices, of the sequential development of formal research or of the reversible and multiple dimension of informal knowledge ”,
indicates the architect Mauricio Pezo.

The spatial structure of the building is based on two clearly differentiated conditions, on the one hand an empty center that establishes a
series of vertically interconnected halls, in turn projected to the outside in its four cardinal directions. On the other hand, some private work
spaces that occupy the corners of each floor, in a circular figure whose center pivots around each edge.

The building proposes a new way of understanding the free office floor plan. Instead of the traditional system of pillars in an undifferentiated
grid without hierarchies, this office floor is at the same time a space for exhibitions, workshops and meetings visually and acoustically
controlled by means of curved walls that change their size on each floor. The diversity and intensity of the resulting space will be a
fundamental factor in the ever-changing dynamics of innovative work between teachers and students, between researchers, entrepreneurs
and the regional and international community.

The Innovation Center at the Universidad del Bío-Bío is possible thanks to the approval of $2 billion from the National Fund for Regional
Development, and will be located at the Concepción headquarters of the University.

In this regard, the rector of the University of Bío-Bío, Héctor Gaete, expressed that he wants to contribute to innovation due to the low rates
of the subject that exist at the regional level and in the country, trusting for this in the industries, social organizations , unions and
universities to develop this area for people's quality of life. “ The building will house different entities at its levels, open activities with
companies of different sizes, with an important dimension in the training of people, it will also be possible to convene other public
and private higher education institutions and technical training centers, to work with us and generate innovation proposals ”, he
explained.

The general director of Research, Development and Innovation, Mario Ramos, commented that once it is operational this will be a center
that will allow collaborative spaces to do work with actors; students with companies, companies with researchers, between companies, with
civil society and with teachers, all focused on increasing and providing training in creativity for innovation, that is the central axis. “ It is a
great challenge because it means a management capacity to be able to administer this space, to have permanent programs, that
the children can be there with free methodologies and to be able to train teachers. Although the Center will be in the UBB, it will
have regional coverage ”, he declared.

The Biobío region has a low rate of innovation with 15.8% of companies, compared to the national average of 23.7%, a delay that occurs at
the SME level, so the installation of the Center seeks to generate collaborative work between regional actors by promoting innovation and
creativity, as well as a place for student training.

The president of the Regional Council (Core) of Biobío, Hugo Cautivo, stated that this is an initiative that benefits the Region. “ We are
thinking of growing at twice the current rate and for that we need to train entrepreneurs and innovators and what this project
offers us is precisely that, an Innovation Center that allows us to generate a space where we can discuss, reflect and anticipate
the Region in the matter, which means the basis to be able to think of a much greater development than we have today ”.

For his part, the Regional Counselor and president of the Science and Technology Commission of the Core, Mario Morales, explained that
the project is part of one of the axes of the Regional Development Strategy for the formation of human capital, “that we understand is an
important and significant deficit today in the Region. We have the conditions to develop notably in this line and projects such as
those of the University, come in this direction to make the contribution of research to advance resolutely in innovation to advance
this in companies and production processes, as well as in classical economic activities such as in the forestry, fishing and
emerging fields, as well as SMEs, because they need to have new knowledge tools that allow them to have better conditions to
face the demands of the market and that is where this Center will make a great contribution ”, he commented.

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 Source: DGIUBB
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Concepción Headquarters (Bío Bío Region):

Avda. Collao Nº 1202 Box 5-C - CP: 4081112

Telephone: (56-41) 3111286 - Phone/Fax: (56-41) 3111040 Chillán Headquarters (Ñuble Region):
Avda. Andrés Bello s/n - CO: 3780000 - Box 447 Phone

/Fax: (56-42) 2463000 Contact: vrip@ubiobio.cl

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