Investigation Commission
From the CRUCH Research Commission, the rector of USM, Juan Yuz, and the vice-rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies of UDA, María José Gallardo, highlight the strategic value of research for the development of the country and identify the main challenges that limit its projection.
CRUCH universities account for 78% of national scientific production.
This April 10th marks World Science and Technology Day, a date established by the UNESCO General Conference in 1982 to highlight the importance of scientific and technological advances in the progress of humanity.
In this context, according to data from the DataCiencia platform of the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), by 2025 the CRUCH universities will concentrate 78% of the national scientific production (26,837 publications), compared to the 22% contributed by other institutions of the university system (7,590 publications).
In this regard, the rector of the Federico Santa María University (USM) and head of the CRUCH Research Commission, Juan Yuz, stressed that “researchers are fundamental actors in the development of the country, since they generate the knowledge that allows us to face complex challenges, from health to climate change or productivity.”.
He added that “in Chile, this work has been gaining recognition in recent years, especially in crisis contexts where scientific evidence has been decisive. However, there is still a significant gap between that recognition and its translation into sustained public policies.”.
He also stated that "as a country we still need to move forward with a more structural integration of science and technology in decision-making, as well as consolidate the social value of knowledge as an engine of material and social development.".
Along the same lines, María José Gallardo, president of the CRUCH Research Commission and Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Atacama (UDA), stated that “today, more than ever, researchers play a strategic role for the present and future of the country. They not only generate knowledge, but also contribute to decision-making, the training of new generations, and the development of solutions that address the realities of our territories.”.
Based on the experience of the CRUCH universities, the Vice-Rector of the UDA indicated that “there is a growing appreciation of the contribution of researchers, but also the challenge of consolidating, both socially and politically, that science, technology, knowledge and innovation are not secondary, but an essential basis for sustainable development, territorial cohesion and the well-being of our communities.”.
Gaps and challenges in Chile
Chile invests approximately 0.41% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in R&D (research and development), while the average of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries reaches 2.68%, according to the OCEC-UDP 2023 report (Economic Context Observatory of the Diego Portales University).
In this regard, Rector Yuz warned that “Chile is far below the OECD average, which reflects a significant gap and places us in a position of relative lag compared to economies that have understood that development is built on the basis of knowledge, innovation and technology.”.
Even so, he highlighted that “Chile has relevant scientific capabilities, especially in its university system, which has sustained much of the country's research” and stressed that “the challenge is to take a leap, not only in funding, but also in a national strategy that allows us to project those capabilities towards a more sophisticated and sustainable development.”.
The rector of USM added that “we also face excessively bureaucratic financing systems, fragmentation in public policies and a still insufficient articulation between academia, industry and the State, although with progress in recent years.”.
Added to this is a structural challenge of decentralization, given that a significant proportion of scientific production is concentrated in the Metropolitan Region, which limits a more balanced development of the system.
“Making progress in these areas is key to consolidating science, technology, and innovation as an engine of development for the country,” emphasized Juan Yuz.
According to María José Gallardo, one of the main challenges is “moving towards a more sustainable, decentralized research system that is more aware of the real conditions that make knowledge production possible.” She explained that “research requires time, human resources, infrastructure, management, collaborative networks, and continuity, and often these direct and indirect costs are not sufficiently visible.”.
The vice-rector stated that it is necessary to "address scientific development with greater equity and strengthen its institutional foundations, ensuring funding that allows it to be projected with territorial relevance and a long-term vision.".
Commission of Inquiry: Agenda 2026
The CRUCH Research Commission defined for 2026 “a roadmap aimed at strengthening the coordination of the university system in science, technology, knowledge and innovation, with a technical and long-term perspective,” explained the vice-rector.
Within this framework, there are two main lines of work. On the one hand, consolidating institutional dialogue with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, along with deepening collaboration with ANID. “To this end, thematic subcommittees will be formed, which will allow us to move towards more specialized work and generate technical input that contributes to decision-making and the design of public policies,” Gallardo stated.
The other strategic focus is “addressing the sustainability of research, based on an analysis of its direct and indirect costs. This approach seeks to highlight the real conditions that support university research and provide evidence for a more structural discussion about its funding,” stated the Commission's president.
In this way, the Commission seeks to consolidate itself as an effective space for inter-university articulation, capable of identifying common priorities and strengthening a systematic relationship with public institutions, in recognition of the strategic role of universities in the scientific and territorial development of the country.
The Research Commission is made up of the vice-rectors or directors of research from the 30 universities of the CRUCH.
World Science and Technology Day
This commemoration was established in honor of the birth of Dr. Bernardo Houssay (April 10, 1887), an Argentine physician and pharmacist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1947 and the first Latin American to receive this recognition.
In Chile, meanwhile, since 2018, the National Day of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation has been celebrated every first Sunday of October.
Text: CRUCH Communications.
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