Chileans invest in innovation

Chile’s exporters’ association Asoex will again sponsor the Re:fresh Innovation of the Year award in 2007, to be presented on May 10 at the industry’s gala awards evening, in London.

Asoex is itself a major sponsor of innovation in Chile through its technology links projects in regions III and VII of the southern cone country. The projects are financed by the Innova Chile fund and consist of a network to disseminate technology transfer among small and medium-sized businesses.

To carry out the initiatives effectively, Asoex has linked up with the Copiapó producer-exporters’ association Apeco in region III and producers’ federation Fruséptima in region VII. The projects cover table-grape production in Copiapó and cherry, kiwifruit and top-fruit production in region VII. They aim to improve production and increase competitiveness among the businesses targeted by identifying technology gaps and weaknesses and then working on technology transfer to boost their export capability.