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Córdoba innovates and undertakes

The province of Córdoba, Argentina staged the establishment of the Agencia Córdoba Innovar y Emprender (Córdoba Innovate and Undertake Agency) a few days ago. This body is a public-private joint venture that intends to foster local production development, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovative culture.

The agency has emerged from the joint work carried out by the Government of the Province of Córdoba and the Unidad de Vinculación Tecnológica Córdoba (Córdoba Technological Linkage Unit), Uvitec. It will primarily focus on “promoting the financing and implementation of programmes and projects aimed at boosting processes of innovation, territorial development and added value to production and addressed to businesses, undertakings, individuals and production systems of the Province of Córdoba, in cooperation with and receiving the cofinancing of those sectors of civil society involved,” through the administration of funds equally provided by the public and private sector.

The Board of Directors of the Agency, headed by Mario César Cúneo and Carlos Walter Robledo as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, is composed of nine Directors pertaining to the various fields/sectors of interest: three from the public sector, three from the scientific field, two from the private business sector and one representing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Marcelo Olmedo was appointed on behalf of Uvitec, representing the private sector.

“Uvitec participates in the Board of Directors of the Agency sharing its experience of over eight years in the promotion of innovation in Córdoba’s production sector,” claimed Joaquín Coniglio, Manager at the business entity. And he added: “This undertaking was the missing link towards the completion of a circuit that has been progressing steadily in the province, which involves the academic world, laboratories, businesses, the civil society and the government in a virtuous relationship of mutual cooperation that will surely benefit local economic and social development.” Among its main functions, the new body will strategically plan, coordinate and implement programmes coupling the various territorial levels; promote the creation of high-impact undertakings which generate added value and skilled employment; foster and finance the activities of bodies representing the civil society aimed at linking the scientific-technological sector, the goods and services sector and the entrepreneurial sector; manage the funding provided by other national or international bodies; create suitable mechanisms of communication and cooperation between all the parties involved; advise and interact with other departments of the Government of the Province, coordinating joint actions; encourage open innovation environments and further the creation of intellectual property.

Clarke, Modet & Cº Argentina has been working with Uvitec for over seven years, providing advice and organizing joint training activities on industrial and intellectual property addressed to the entrepreneurs in the area. This new stage will afford Clarke, Modet & Cº the opportunity to share all its knowledge and experience in furtherance of strengthening the regional entrepreneurship and innovation.

Carmen Sánchez-Puelles