- Researchers from the center’s six research lines met to share their developments, create synergies and advance links with the productive sector.
On Tuesday, May 26, the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CEDENNA, held its first 2026 Technology Transfer Day, an event that brought together researchers from all the center’s lines with the aim of showcasing their scientific developments and exploring concrete opportunities for transfer to the productive sector.
The event, held in the Auditorium of the School of Psychology of Universidad Diego Portales, featured nine presentations ranging from fungicide detection systems for post-harvest fruit to biomedical implants based on Chilean natural resources, including new battery materials, nanopesticides, biosensors for neurodegenerative diseases and developments in packaging and food safety. The activity brought together more than 40 participants in person, with simultaneous Zoom streaming for researchers in the regions.
Synergies that go beyond research lines
The highlight of the day was the collaborative work session, in which participants grouped by theme and discussed the developments presented. This exchange produced valuable connections between teams from different lines of the center, opening possibilities for joint collaboration.
CEDENNA director Dr. Dora Altbir praised the significance of the event and highlighted that technology transfer has become a strategic priority for the center, and that events like this —where researchers themselves communicate their progress and connect with each other— are essential to accelerate the path from frontier research to concrete impact on society and industry.
CEDENNA brings together 57 researchers from 18 universities across the country who carry out frontier science in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Its six lines of research (computer simulations, magnetic nanostructures and mining, renewable energy, chemistry and nanoenvironment, nanobiomedicine, and packaging and food safety) share the potential to generate developments with direct applications in mining, health, agriculture, energy and the food industry.
Nanosafety: a responsibility Chile exercises before the world
A fundamental pillar that runs across CEDENNA’s work is its Nanosafety Unit. The center has the only laboratory in Latin America accredited under the ISO 17025 standard for the toxicity analysis of nanomaterials, an international standard that guarantees the quality and reliability of its results.
This capability, unique in the region, is not just a technical achievement: it positions Chile as a player with a voice in defining global regulations on nanomaterials. CEDENNA is the only Latin American representative on the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN), the international body where standards are defined that directly affect the exports and industries of all member countries.
At a time when the government has made technology transfer and the link between science and industry priorities on its agenda, nanosafety also represents a public policy opportunity: Chile is the only country in the region with the technical capacity in place to support a National Nanosafety Policy, and CEDENNA is in a position to be the stakeholder that backs it.
About CEDENNA
CEDENNA is an Applied Research Center funded by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), whose mission is to carry out frontier research in nanoscience and nanotechnology and transfer that knowledge to Chilean society and industry. With 16 years of history, the center has trained more than 900 professionals, published nearly 1,900 WoS articles and applied for more than 65 patents in Chile and abroad.
More information at www.cedenna.cl
