Exploring how a high-tech exoskeleton can transform occupational health and productivity was the challenge that brought together national talent in an innovative collaborative challenge driven by Know Hub Chile.
With the aim of strengthening ties between the national R&D&I ecosystem and an international leader in the aerospace industry, an initiative was launched within the framework of the Nueva Ingeniería para el 2030 (New Engineering for 2030) programs implemented at several Chilean universities.
Following an evaluation process led by Know Hub Chile and the technical committee of Lockheed Martin, Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) was selected with an interdisciplinary proposal developed by faculty members from the schools of Engineering Sciences and Medicine. The project focused on improving the performance and broadening the applicability of the FORTIS exoskeleton, a passive tool designed to reduce muscle load in demanding work settings such as industry, field operations or public services.
The progress of this work was presented publicly a few months ago at the Dual Hub Summit, the first national dual innovation meeting, held at Universidad del Bío-Bío in Concepción. There, the UACh team presented not only its technical developments but also an institutional milestone: the creation of the RINHoS interdisciplinary unit (Research and Innovation in Health Solutions), coordinated by Dr. Belkys Amador.
This new unit seeks to address complex health challenges through advanced technologies and biological processes, establishing a line of work that builds on the FORTIS experience and is directly aimed at workplace well-being and the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.
UACh’s participation in this challenge is a concrete example of how dual innovation, with both civilian and defense applications, can generate solutions with high social impact. This approach promotes collaboration between academia, industry and government, and allows technologies originally conceived for demanding sectors such as the military or aerospace to be adapted to improve key areas such as occupational health, productivity and quality of life.
At the same meeting, UACh faculty also shared the university’s training capabilities in dual innovation, with special emphasis on the work of the Institute of Naval and Maritime Sciences, highlighting its contribution to strategic initiatives such as the Continuous National Shipbuilding Plan and its ties with the defense sector.
All of this reinforces the role of universities as essential players in technological development, capable of translating knowledge into concrete solutions to the country’s major challenges.
Read the original article at https://www.diariodeosorno.cl/noticia/diario-emprende/2025/07/desafio-fortis-la-innovacion-de-la-uach-que-podria-cambiar-el-futuro-del-trabajo
