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Innovative regional project seeks to develop the industry of natural antioxidants in La Araucanía

Published 04-11-2013

• The initiative was awarded in the Contest Linking Science Projects Company CONICYT, whose third call is open until 4 November.

Both nationally and internationally there is a growing interest in food intake and high functionality products with antioxidant attributes, foods that naturally or processed, contain components that exert beneficial health effects beyond nutrition.

In this context, and given the physical and climatic conditions in the region of La Araucanía presents, a group of professionals from the University of La Frontera began researching about natural antioxidants that are present in the region and the possibilities to develop an industry around them.

Researchers in charge of agricultural engineer and director of the Institute of Agribusiness, University of La Frontera, Luis Torralbo, postulated and II Project Competition Bonding Company Science Research Partnership Program were awarded CONICYT, promoted by the Regional Programme of the same institution, from the Fund for Innovation and Competitiveness of the Region of La Araucanía, opening this year a new call for the regions of La Araucanía, Tarapacá, Atacama, Metropolitana y O’Higgins, due to the interest and resources provided by these regions.

"From CONICYT we have raised the challenge of linking all actors allow science that occurs in regions responsive to the needs of each territory, approaching research companies. That is the spirit of the contest Linking Science-Business, it also responds to the needs identified by the regional governments ", said the director (s) Regional Program of CONICYT, Claudio Bustamante.

As explained Luis Torralbo, in the region there is a vast area of ​​temperate-cold climate conditions for the production of agricultural products with high content of antioxidants. These include low temperatures, high solar radiation and acidic conditions.

"Prominent among these products berries native and introduced, some high international demand. This allows for a critical mass of raw material, like blueberries, raspberries and cherries, you can go through processes of transformation that give greater added value, which in most cases tends to stabilize prices and generate different marketing alternatives for primary production ", said the engineer.

But despite these conditions, actors in the value chain of the industry of natural antioxidants in the region of Araucania not have a coordinated action, pointed Torralbo. "The connection with other relevant actors at country level and international, It is still very limited. Remember that this industry has several outlets to market, many of which are highly specialized and very severe barriers to entry that must be faced as an industry. This includes the contributions they can make research institutes and regional universities ", explained.

Towards the development of the industry of natural antioxidants

Until now, this initiative has developed a training process by which they passed professionals act as bonding agents with different companies in this industry. This is of course "Design of innovative projects from linking science-business".

"It is also running a study to raise the technological demands of companies working in this area, and in parallel, internships linking agents this project are managed in regional industries, to learn from within their specific problems and opportunities ", Luis concluded Torralbo, Project Coordinator.

Regarding Project Competition III Linking Science Company, This is open to the 04 November. For more information about this contest: www.conicyt.cl y www.conicyt.cl/oirs.

 

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