Paola Armijo

Climate change is significantly altering the quality and fertility of agricultural land, hindering its capacity to retain nutrients, capture moisture, and support vegetation. To combat this phenomenon, the use of microorganisms such as cyanobacteria offers an effective solution.

In response, Usach’s Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, specifically its Plant Biochemistry and Phytoremediation Laboratory, is developing a multifunctional biotechnological tool based on these living organisms to enhance soil adaptability and mitigate the climate crisis.

A total of eleven applied research projects from the faculties of Engineering, Technology, Science, Medical Sciences, and Chemistry and Biology at the University of Santiago de Chile were awarded the Fondef IDeA I+D 2025 competition, organized by ANID. Nationwide, 129 initiatives will receive this funding.

For our institution, this result represents an 8.5% increase in awards compared to 2024, when eight proposals received funding. Institutional participation also expanded, with three to five faculties involved, while the number of applications grew from 44 to 51.

An educational event for schoolchildren and teachers in Quilimarí, Los Vilos (Coquimbo Region), marked the conclusion of the Fondef project, “Multifunctional biotechnological tool for adaptation to climate change.” This initiative was led by Dr. Claudia Ortiz Calderón, a researcher at the University of Santiago, Chile’s Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.

Driven by high international demand, Chilean fruit growing has expanded steadily in recent decades. To maintain competitiveness, the sector has adopted intensive practices like higher planting density, aggressive pruning, and heavy fertilizer use.

Unfortunately, these practices have led to an increase in phytopathogenic fungal diseases, especially those affecting fruit tree wood. Such infections weaken the trees’ structure and significantly diminish their productivity.

Despite public policies like the REP and Single-Use Plastics laws, plastic waste management remains a significant national challenge. According to Fundación Chile, our country consumes nearly one million tons of plastic annually, with only a meager 8.5% being recycled.

To address this challenge, the University of Santiago (Usach) has partnered with the Juan Fernández Circular R&D project. Led by CircularTec and funded by ANID, the project’s goal is to treat plastic waste from a circular economy perspective and develop useful products for the archipelago’s community.

Two R&D initiatives proposed by the University of Santiago, Chile, were awarded the 2025 Technology Centers for Innovation Competition, organized by ANID, in which six proposals were selected nationwide.
The call for proposals funds the creation and strengthening of technology centers for innovation, with a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, aimed at addressing challenges in the country's productive sectors. The aim is to contribute to sustainable development and strengthen the national ecosystem of science, technology, knowledge, and innovation (CTKI).

Industries such as transportation, logistics, mining, fishing, and agriculture rely heavily on satellite connectivity and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), where geolocation accuracy is vital for operations. However, these technologies are vulnerable to solar activity, which can trigger disturbances leading to significant positioning errors, communication outages, or failures in critical infrastructure.

Chile is actively positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production and export, a clean fuel that is essential for national decarbonization and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. 

Thanks to its vast solar and wind energy potential, Chile is well-positioned to produce green hydrogen via water electrolysis. In this process, electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, producing a fuel that only emits water vapor as a waste product.

La Dirección de Gestión Tecnológica (DGT) de la Universidad de Santiago de Chile impulsa Puente DGT, programa de apoyo interno dirigido a académicos y académicas que no fueron seleccionados o no lograron la adjudicación en concursos de la Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID). 

Con la presentación de los resultados, entre los cuales destaca un prototipo en funcionamiento en la empresa Desafío Ambiente, se realizó el evento de cierre del proyecto Fondef “Resonador acústico de plástico reciclado para espacios de trabajo”.