In the EIGHTEENTH version of the National Prize for Innovation Avonni were given awards in 12 categories postulables, in addition to five awards of regional and three specials.

With the declaration of wanting to expand the experience in all of Latin America, was held the EIGHTEENTH version of the National Prize for Innovation Avonni 2024, instance in which it is awarded to companies that during the year have been recognized for their efforts to transform sustainably the country.

The ceremony was headed by the minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Aisen Etcheverry; the minister of Health, Ximena Aguilera; and the minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, in addition to representatives of foreign and national private and public sectors.

In his words of welcome, William Carey, president of ForoInnovación, he appreciated the efforts that have been made in these 18 years to consolidate the existence of the awards Avonni and more than 700 innovative and innovative Chile this year participated in the call.

In his version, 2024, the Awards Avonni told with 12 categories postulables, in addition to five awards of regional and three special recognitions, in order to highlight the best innovations developed throughout the country, high-impact and contribute to the sustainable development of Chile.

“As ForoInnovación come about 20 years ago, inspired by our founder, Raul Rivera, accumulating knowledge and pushing tirelessly for the entrepreneurship and innovation as a key factor to improve productivity, competitive Chile. I believe that we are not living an era of change, but that we are living in an era of change, where the questions change, and that is why, with all of the acquis that we have accumulated, we are trying to identify, with active listening and a willingness to dialogue, what are the challenges that we will have in the future, and the Avonni is part of that process of co-construction,” said Carey.

“The Avonni is a beacon that allows you to show to those who have been able to beat adversity and move forward from this to inspire others. Also the Avonni is the generation of networks, and that's why we're so excited to be here at the cultural attaché of Peru in Chile, because two years ago we went to Peru, where we seek to expand the networks and connect the communities, because we firmly believe that the future is going to have color in Latin america. Then, we are now in Peru, but if you are with us, we will be turning this wick of innovation in other countries of the region,” said the president of ForoInnovación.

“Companies don't innovate, the State does not depart, those who innovate are the people,” added William Carey, and hence the recognition that Avonni has done in these past 18 years, these actors, who defined it as “cultural heroes of innovation”, since who, with their effort, slowly pushing the growth of the country with creativity.

For his part, the minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Aisen Etcheverry, shared the concepts given by the president of ForoInnovación and appreciated the important role that you have played the prizes Avonni in these almost 20 years of existence.

“Who would have thought 18 years ago, and when he was departed this award, we were supposed to meet with chilean, chilean and working with bees, thinking in terms of inclusion, in circular economy, the development of technology for the extraction of lithium, thinking in terms of inclusion in different spaces, creating new materials (...) We are at a turning point, Chile has made great strides and I think that the sample of innovative and innovative that we saw today is a demonstration of that,” said the secretary of State.

He added that, throughout these years, the awards Avonni and all the efforts that have been made for the promotion of innovation in the country have generated “a beautiful thing” what should be proud of.

“We can conquer the world from this corner, with innovative solutions, based on knowledge, created along the consensus of policies that are transferred from one government to another. There are spaces like this where we agree, where we move, where we have built block after block, and today what we have is a community of innovators and innovative projects to become more sophisticated, increasingly based on science and technology, each time with greater added value and becoming more connected with the needs of the country”, said the minister of Science, who reiterated the Government's commitment to this agenda, because “there is no development without science and technology in the territory, and for that we are many we are working on day-to-day.”