Promoting research and the application of new knowledge to the productive and social reality of the country is the north of the National Research and Innovation Agency (ANII). The Manager of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the ANII, Ximena CamanoIt was an indisputable part of its history. Although he has been in this position since the beginning of 2021, Camaño has worked in the organization since 2008, when he became the agency’s Deputy Manager of Operations, until 2020, when he had a standby in the organization to rejoin as Research Manager.
The executive —who participated in the summit of Innovation and New Businesses, organized by El Observador— spoke with Coffee & Business about the traveled route, the place that the ANII occupies today in Uruguayan society and the challenges that the agency must facein an increasingly tumultuous world whose horizon calls for sustainability as its central objective.
“At the national level, the institution provides tools to different projects so that they can be carried out. In this time we have gone through different levels,” Camaño said.
“From the creation of the agency, there have been supported ventures, incubators were created and the generation of new ventures has been strengthened in the local ecosystem, with a scalable perspective”, Camaño explained. “In these 15 years, the ANII has had an impact at various levels,” he said.
Nowadays, the role of the ANII is that of a strategic ally with respect to a company that wishes to innovate and therefore must “take a risk” in doing so, Camaño said. “In this sense, the ANII is the ideal partner because it shares financing risk” with the company, in order for the organization to innovate and gain momentum, he said. “By giving grants that are non-reimbursable, we are minimizing the risk of wanting to innovate, of doing something different and trying things out,” he said.
Camaño assured that the agency plans to “devote funds to actions linked to actions of mitigation and adaptation to climate change” and focus on triple-impact ventures, that is, that contribute with their activities to the economic, social and environmental aspects.
What place does science and technology have today in Uruguay?
Science and technology “has an extremely important place” in Uruguayan societysaid the executive. “The pandemic let us see that important place,” added Camaño, who also highlighted “the role played by science, which knew how to put itself at the service of society” immediately.
“What was being investigated” was substantial to face this health situation, the hierarch emphasized and exemplified that the effort of the scientific community could be seen in the availability of the kits (for disposable protection for the coronavirus), which were for public use. .
Agency challenges
“The challenges that the agency faces are important” and are closely linked to the sustainability, with the environmental, social and economic impactCamano said. “The challenges that we technicians must face have this goal, but they must also consider the needs of the business park, the enterprises and research”, he concluded.
