First place received USD 50,000 and second place USD 40,000 to develop technologies that solve problems in the civilian and defense markets, specifically in Maritime Situational Awareness, and that essentially seek to help the Navy safeguard our country’s vast maritime territory. The Avante Challenge is a joint initiative of the Navy, Know Hub Chile and AthenaLab.
On Tuesday, March 30, the awards ceremony was held for Avante 2020, the first open innovation challenge of the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile), run together with Know Hub Chile and AthenaLab. This call sought technological solutions to problems related to Maritime Situational Awareness, which essentially means helping the Navy safeguard the vast maritime territory we have as a country: 26.5 million km2, or 1.5 times the whole of South America.
The winners were Acústica Marina, a team led by Marcela Ruíz (the only woman heading a team), who received USD 50,000. This technology is a vessel detection system using hydroacoustic technology with real-time data processing, designed to improve the quality of information and optimize inspection operations for smaller vessels along the country’s northern coast, where there are almost a thousand kilometers of “blind zone” with no internet, cell phone or radio signal.
Second place went to IA Grafimar, a team led by Sergio Vera, which received USD 40,000. This technology automates real-time maritime traffic analysis, increasing the Chilean Navy’s capacity to detect illicit acts and direct search and rescue operations at sea using artificial intelligence.
The technologies taking part in Avante must be dual, meaning they must serve both the defense and civilian worlds, broadening their market horizons. That is why the nine competing teams underwent 10 weeks of intensive training in Know Hub Chile’s Dual Tech Program, which is based on the iCorps methodology (developed by the U.S. National Science Foundation) and on Hacking for Defense (H4D). For more details about the training, click here. As for the winners, Acústica Marina could also have applications in the salmon industry, and IA Grafimar in trading and in data analysis for medicine and agriculture.
The main goal of this training was for the teams to get to know their customers (customer discovery). To do so, they conducted more than 300 interviews with companies and potential users within the Navy. They did not walk this path alone: the nine teams (46 participants in total) had the support of seven mentors, as well as guidance from two Chilean Navy professionals and six from Know Hub Chile. In total, the teams received 135 hours of dedicated mentoring. With the USD 7,500 they received for being selected and the knowledge they gained during the Dual Tech Program, the teams are developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of their technologies. To learn more about them, you can watch their short videos at this link.
The awards ceremony was attended by Francisco de la Maza, Undersecretary of Defense at the Ministry of Defense; Benjamín Maturana, head of the public policy division of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation; and various Navy authorities, such as the Commander of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Alberto Soto (on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy).
Which dual technologies are taking part in Avante? Click here
