The initiative of the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) and Know Hub promotes dual innovation, that is, the ability to generate solutions collaboratively for both the defense and civilian worlds. Applications are open until March 6.
Know Hub has collaborated on dual innovation projects since 2019 with both the Chilean Navy and the Air Force.
December 2024.- A new edition of Desafío Avante is taking place in 2024. It is an open innovation program implemented by the Chilean Navy and Know Hub to boost the search for technology solutions in the naval industry, as part of a strategic vision to position the country as a benchmark in this field through collaboration among entrepreneurs, academia and industry. The selection process is now open, and applications will be accepted until March 6, 2025.
The selected projects will receive financial support, as well as mentoring from experts in the naval industry, innovation and technology. They will also have the opportunity to test and validate their technology solutions at the Asmar shipyards, the most important shipbuilding center in Chile. In addition, taking part will allow them to work directly with the Chilean Navy and key players in the industrial sector, integrating solutions into strategic naval projects. Throughout this process, they will receive support to scale their solutions nationally and internationally, creating new growth opportunities.
“We want Desafío Avante 04 participants to feel part of an important mission for the country. Developing innovative solutions that address real challenges in shipbuilding will strengthen not only the shipyards and the Navy, but also Chile’s technological and industrial capabilities,” says Francisca Lema, head of Plans at CITA.
This call covers three areas. The first is “Sustainable Shipbuilding,” which seeks innovations that reduce the environmental impact of shipbuilding and increase the energy efficiency of vessels. The second area is “Automation and Optimization,” aimed at developing automated systems that improve vessel assembly and maintenance processes. Finally, there is “Advanced Manufacturing for Shipbuilding,” for the creation of new lightweight, strong and durable materials.
In this context, any technology solution with the potential to positively transform the naval industry can take part.
Dual innovation in Chile
The construction of the Antarctic icebreaker Almirante Viel, in service since July 2024, marked a milestone in the history of shipbuilding in Chile. It is the first icebreaker built in South America, the result of implementing special equipment to increase lifting and weight-handling capacity, modernizing steel cutting and bending systems, and introducing more precise dimensional control systems, which allow the Chilean Navy to take on complex projects.
Héctor Cifuentes, innovation coordinator at Know Hub Chile, describes Desafío Avante as “our contribution to finding new forms of collaboration between the naval industry and science- and technology-based ventures, thereby fostering new and better solutions for the construction process.”
Know Hub and the Navy have been promoting dual innovation in Chile since 2019 through Desafío Avante, the first open innovation program to seek solutions for the defense sector. In 2022, Know Hub developed Desafío Fortis, which invited Chilean universities to seek innovations in the use of Fortis, Lockheed Martin’s exoskeleton. In 2023, Know Hub and CITA created Proa I+D, a program that supported researchers by providing them with spaces to carry out research of mutual interest. The innovation center has also supported the technological development of the Chilean Air Force through the Ad Astra Platform.
Strengthening startups
Desafío Avante 04 seeks to drive the creation of science- and technology-based ventures that contribute to the modernization of shipbuilding, developing solutions in areas such as automation, sustainability, robotics and advanced materials technology, among others. It also fosters public-private collaboration, promoting synergies among startups, universities, research centers and shipyards to solve key challenges in the naval industry.
The process has already begun and will run until March 6, 2025. Two winning teams will be selected, and each will receive CLP 35 million to develop its technology solution. They will also have the opportunity to access a softlanding in the United States or Colombia, depending on their needs. For more information about Desafío Avante, visit: https://desafioavante.cl
