During 2022, the innovation support instruments of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) were in significant demand. Due, this year turned out to be a “record” for the agencywhich supported more than 1,160 research and innovation projects.
Looking to 2023, ANII seeks to continue on the path of growth and for that it will have a budget increase.
According to the 2023 Annual Operating Plan presented by ANII, the agency will have a large increase in its budget for activities to promote the country’s innovation. With that budget – which will reach nearly $48 million—will redouble its efforts to make the innovation a key factor for the economic growth, social development and sustainability of the country.
With this incentive, ANII set itself the goal for next year “continue converting the country into a knowledge-based economy and society, and promote the training and development of researchers”, according to a statement shared by the agency. To achieve this, among other things, Both the number of basic and applied research projects to be supported will increase, as well as the maximum amounts to be awarded per project.
Also, in 2023, ANII will launch a renewed version of its main support instruments for business innovation with a focus on knowledge-intensive sectorsand will continue to encourage the generation of projects that generate knowledge and technology transfer between academia and the productive sector.
Uruguay Innovation Hub
ANII also plans for next year to develop the Uruguay Innovation Huba program to promote innovation that includes the creation of an innovation campus, an acceleration program focused on sectors with great growth potential (advanced digital technologies, biotechnology, and green technologies), as well as a fund of amounts, which aims to leverage public and private investment, generating an increase in the availability of capital to finance innovative ventures in the growth stage.
It also includes the installation of open laboratories to support companies and startups in the development of innovative solutions using state-of-the-art technologies.
Finally, the program has a component of attraction of technology-based companies to settle in Uruguay.
