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Global Innovation Summit 2026

6 May 2026 | Basel, Switzerland

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Maria Paz Merino

Executive Director

CBT SOFOFA Hub

Santiago, Chile

6 profile visits

PhD in Engineering Sciences, spec. Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology. I lead CBT SOFOFA Hub, Chile's national translational biotech center. We bridge industry demand and biotech solutions across mining, agri-food, aquaculture & forestry.

My organisation

CBT SOFOFA Hub

CBT SOFOFA Hub

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Santiago, Chile

The Center is responsible for driving and optimizing the adoption of biotechnology within the Chilean industrial sector. To this end, it acts as a strategic bridge between scientific knowledge and market needs, identifying opportunities to translate high-level research into concrete initiatives for innovation, R&D development, and the scaling of biotech-based ventures across diverse productive spheres. Main Objectives: Connect the industrial sector with specialized scientific knowledge to solve complex technical challenges. Support and manage R&D projects that enhance national competitiveness and sustainability. Accelerate the development, validation, and industrial scale-up of biotechnology-based startups and products. Promote the integration of biotechnological solutions to modernize traditional industries. Strengthen joint efforts with the industry to solve complex challenges through biotechnological solutions provided by startups of high scientific standards.
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About me

I am the Executive Director of the Centro de Biotecnología Traslacional (CBT) at SOFOFA Hub, Chile's leading industry-driven translational biotechnology center. I hold a PhD in Engineering Sciences with specialization in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials (DIQBM) at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (FCFM), Universidad de Chile. My work focuses on accelerating biotech adoption across Chile's key productive sectors — mining, aquaculture, forestry, agri-food, and biomedicine — by building bridges between scientific capacity and industrial demand. Under my leadership, CBT has developed a national network spanning 9 universities and 6 international centers of excellence, and launched Hemisferio Biotech, a scale-up program supporting early-stage biotech companies in reaching their first industrial clients and international markets. I am a strong advocate for modernizing Chile's regulatory framework and fostering public-private collaboration to position the country as a global biotech reference, leveraging world-class scientific output and competitive production costs. I join the GIS to explore partnerships that can connect Chile's biotech ecosystem with international innovation networks and investors.

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