The event, organized by ONR Global, the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) and Know Hub, presented the progress and outlook of Latin America’s first open innovation program in defense. Authorities from both countries highlighted its impact as a regional benchmark in dual-use innovation and the key role ONR Global has played in its development.
The Office of Naval Research Global (ONR Global), the international branch of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), dedicated to fostering scientific and technological collaboration with institutions and experts around the world, held a virtual seminar to present the progress of the Avante Program. This initiative – developed by the Chilean Navy and Know Hub Chile, with the backing of the U.S. agency – has established a model unprecedented in the region for dual-use innovation and technology maturation in strategic sectors.
Now in its fourth edition, Avante has established itself as the leading open innovation platform for the naval field in Chile and Latin America. Its pioneering nature lies in the systematic coordination of defense, startups, industry and researchers to solve operational challenges of the Chilean Navy through science and technology with dual-use potential. In its most recent edition, the program focused on shipbuilding, addressing energy efficiency, automation, optimization, cost reduction and advanced manufacturing.
ONR Global’s decisive role
At the seminar, Dillard Patton, Director, International Science at ONR Global, highlighted the organization’s historical continuity: “We are an organization that fosters scientific research related to maintaining future naval superiority, as well as preserving national security.” He added that ONR’s global mission is to connect the naval research enterprise with international scientists and innovators.
Sonia Wolff, Associate Science Director at ONR Global, stressed that the program has been a milestone in the bilateral relationship. “Avante has been a turning point in collaboration between Chile and the U.S., by proposing innovative solutions to real operational needs.” She noted that the joint work has produced highly relevant strategic insights for the naval priorities of both countries. “These efforts have laid the groundwork for future cooperation, helping both nations build maritime security and technological resilience through innovation,” she said.
The seminar also featured remarks by Senator Kenneth Peter Pugh, who emphasized the country’s strategic potential. “Today, Chile is a stable country. We are a central power in the region seeking to develop the country using all of our natural resources,” he stated.
Avante’s results
On behalf of the Navy, the director of the Technological Innovation Center (CITA), Captain Francisco Mackay, analyzed the role of dual-use innovation and noted that Avante has raised the technology readiness of the solutions, steering them toward concrete results: “We have run the program four times, and every time we have seen significant progress toward higher TRLs.”
The seminar also reviewed success stories presented by Taky Parvex, senior new projects manager at Know Hub Chile and program lead. Across four editions, Avante has received more than 130 applications, with 37 teams participating directly. More than 20 MVPs have been developed, and several startups continue to scale their solutions in Chile and abroad.
“We believe the Dual-Tech methodology has proven effective in solving a crucial problem: science and R&D programs in Chile generally do not address the industry’s real problems. Collaboration between defense and the private sector makes it possible to channel these efforts toward concrete challenges,” Parvex emphasized.
The results speak for themselves. For every dollar contributed by Avante and ONR Global, the projects have raised more than ten additional dollars in public funding. “Seven startups have already crossed the ‘valley of death’ and two operate internationally, together raising more than USD 3.8 million in additional funding,” Parvex said.
The event concluded by highlighting that Avante has not only demonstrated Chile’s capacity to drive high-value dual-use innovation, but has also become a replicable model for defense and open innovation in the hemisphere, thanks to the joint work of the Chilean Navy, Know Hub Chile and the ongoing support of ONR Global. This collaboration has set a regional standard for connecting science, defense and productive development, consolidating Avante as the pioneering and most influential platform of its kind in Latin America.
