The event, organized by Know Hub Chile together with the Chilean Navy’s Technological Innovation Center (CiTA) and Innovapolinav, brought together representatives from defense, academia, industry and the State. Experts from MIT and the United Nations highlighted Chile’s potential to become a regional benchmark in dual innovation.
With a turnout that reaffirms growing national interest in dual innovation, the third edition of the Dual Hub Summit: Dual Innovation Ecosystems in Chile took place in Viña del Mar on October 24, as part of Innovapolinav 2025, an event organized by the Chilean Navy through its Technological Innovation Center (CiTA), in collaboration with Know Hub Chile.
The summit brought together authorities, researchers, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the private sector and the Armed Forces to analyze the progress, challenges and opportunities of dual innovation—which generates technologies with both civilian and defense applications—as a driver of the country’s technological sovereignty and economic development.
Since its first edition in Concepción in 2023, the Dual Hub Summit has grown into a key space for coordination among science, the State and industry. In this third edition, the alliance between Know Hub Chile and the Navy made it possible to showcase concrete progress in technology transfer, applied research and international cooperation.
“The Dual Hub Summit has become a reference point for the dual innovation ecosystem in Chile. The alliance with the Chilean Navy, through CiTA and Innovapolinav, shows that innovation is not built in isolation: it requires collaboration among all of the country’s strategic players,” said Javier Ramírez, executive director of Know Hub Chile.
Technological sovereignty
Among the main international speakers was Lars Frølund, an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), board member of the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) and former advisor to the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), who addressed the design of dual innovation ecosystems and the need to connect scientific capabilities with national development strategies.
For his part, Arturo Ojeda Demaria, a specialist at the United Nations Global Service Centre and a former Chilean Navy commander, presented a strategic vision on coastal resilience, maritime security and international cooperation in dual innovation, underscoring Chile’s role as an emerging player in coordinating technology solutions with global reach.
The program included discussion panels, presentations of technology experiences and networking spaces for universities, startups and public agencies. Attendees agreed that dual innovation not only strengthens national technological capacity, but also drives value creation and the integration of knowledge with the country’s strategic needs.
“Dual development makes it possible to harness Chile’s scientific and technological potential to face challenges in security as well as productivity and sustainability. This approach is aligned with national science and defense policies and promotes a culture of collaboration that understands innovation as a public good,” Ramírez added.
With more than a decade of progress in Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (CTCI) policies, Chile has begun to integrate dual innovation into its strategic instruments, such as the National Defense Policy, the National CTCI Strategy and the National Shipbuilding Plan, strengthening technology transfer and the creation of sustainable capabilities.
The Dual Hub Summit 2025 is set to be a space for continuing and expanding collaborative work among defense, academia and industry, reaffirming that dual innovation is an essential tool for building a safer, more competitive and technologically sovereign Chile.
Read the original article at https://www.tourinnovacion.cl/actualidad/chile-refuerza-su-liderazgo-en-innovacion-dual-con-exitosa-tercera-edicion-del-dual-hub-summit/
