\u00abLast Monday, January 4, CORFO's decision to award the tender for the Clean Energy Institute (ITL) to the North American consortium Associated Universities Inc. (AUI) was announced, which has generated a national debate led by senators , deputies and researchers, both from the universities of the Council of Rectors and from other relevant bodies at the national level.<\/p>\n
As the Council of Rectors, we are part of said debate, since it is a high-impact decision, not only because of the associated amounts (193 million dollars in 10 years), but mainly because this initiative represents a unique and invaluable opportunity for research, capacity building for technology transfers and innovation and, ultimately, for the development of Chile. The above given that the Chilean Institute of Clean Technologies (ITL) promoted by CORFO -as part of an agreement between the state entity and the company SQMSalar-, aims to promote solar energy, sustainable mining (low emissions) and materials advanced lithium and other minerals.<\/p>\n
We question a decision like this because it rejects the proposal presented by the Association for the Development of Clean Technologies (ASDIT), a national and international consortium made up of Chilean universities with recognized trajectories in research and technology -Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Norte, Universidad de Antofagasta, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, University of Chile, University of Concepci\u00f3n, University of Santiago de Chile, University of Talca, University of Tarapac\u00e1, Federico Santa Mar\u00eda Technical University and Adolfo Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez University-; in addition to mining and energy companies established in Chile; Industrial Association of Antofagasta (AIA), scientific and technological centers of Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Spain, among others; and a long list of other associated entities. It is an unprecedented alliance in the country, which proposed an ambitious agenda linked and co-constructed with the Antofagasta region, whose purpose is to lead a new cluster for Chile and from Chile, with our own capabilities and with global impact.<\/p>\n
We are concerned about the result of this tender because it seems to us nonsense that an international consortium, with few links with the Chilean mining and energy world, intends to lead through the ITL a proposal for sustainable development in the Antofagasta region and a new and important industry for our country.<\/p>\n
In this scenario, it is worth asking what is the real policy to promote the development of own capacities for innovation that is proposed for the country. With this decision, Chile risks the historical possibility of leveraging resources and generating synergistic wills between industry, academia, cutting-edge innovation, the local community and the link with the territories, in order to be true protagonists of technological development for climate action through the development of green hydrogen.<\/p>\n
Our question is also related to the lack of transparency in the project evaluation process. With the information available so far, we know that in the first evaluation, by an independent jury with an international body, the ASDIT proposal obtained the highest score. For this reason, the change in the evaluation of the following phases - internal to CORFO and the Council of Ministers - is striking.<\/p>\n
It is also worrying that the rigor and procedures that are usually required for instruments to promote research with public funding have not been applied in this tender. Specifically, we mean that, along with the evaluation by international panels, proposals submissions and local technical-based advisory committees are also considered, in order to understand the proposals in depth.<\/p>\n
In the opinion of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities, such a relevant decision for the country must respond to a long-term development strategy that strengthens Chile's science and technology system and that enhances the various territories, their natural resources and that benefit the citizenry.<\/p>\n
Consequently, it seems serious to us that the North American consortium has been chosen, made up of nine North American universities (Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Pennsylvania, John Hopkins, Rochester and Yale) and the Chilean Development Universities, San Sebasti\u00e1n, Aut\u00f3noma de Chile and Atacama, since it reflects that there is no legitimate interest to promote, validate and recognize national capacities.<\/p>\n
Considering the relevance of the Clean Energy Institute and its impact on the development of innovation in a strategic issue for the country, we are forced to make a call to reverse this decision and implement a new public bidding process that guarantees objectivity, transparency and equanimity. "<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00abEl pasado lunes 4 de enero se dio a conocer la decisi\u00f3n de CORFO de adjudicar la licitaci\u00f3n del Instituto de Energ\u00edas Limpias (ITL) al consorcio norteamericano Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), lo que ha generado un debate nacional protagonizado por senadores\/as, diputados\/as e investigadores\/as, tanto de las universidades del Consejo de Rectores como de otros […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-declaracion-publica"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n