The laboratory comprises a 90 m² space, equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the creation, characterisation, and application of bio-based, biofabricated, and nanotechnological materials.
As part of Biomaterials Week, the Faculty of Design inaugurated the new Sustainable Materials Laboratory at the Universidad del Desarrollo. This space is defined as an applied research hub that integrates design, science, and technology for the development of sustainable materials. In this regard, it aims to bring together interdisciplinary expertise in material chemistry, biotechnology, design, and life cycle analysis, incorporating principles of circular economy, waste valorisation, and biodesign.
The first visitors had the exclusive opportunity to view a variety of projects already developed by the centre’s research team. It is a space that applies circular economy principles, waste valorisation, and biodesign to drive development across various productive sectors and foster an innovation ecosystem that extends beyond the academic sphere.
UDD’s Rector, Federico Valdés, praised the new collaborative space and expressed the university’s hopes that “this initiative will also translate into the ability to transfer knowledge, solutions, and technologies to the productive sectors, to industry, to businesses—generating real value for people, the environment, and the sustainable development of the country.” In this context, he emphasised that, as a university and academic community, UDD is committed to promoting meaningful and impactful research.
Dean of the Faculty, Alejandra Amenábar, also spoke at the inauguration, highlighting that the laboratory is positioned to be a key player at a time when the world is calling for profound transitions towards regenerative systems. “Its establishment represents over a decade of collective effort, during which we have always regarded design as a discipline that facilitates applied, interdisciplinary research with a strong emphasis on knowledge transfer,” she stated.
Director of Research, Paulina Contreras, noted that “the inauguration of the Sustainable Materials Laboratory marks a significant step forward in the integration of science and design, consolidating an innovation hub focused on sustainability. We have assembled a highly specialised interdisciplinary team, led by Dr Nataly Silva, a chemist, and Dr Andrea Wechsler, an expert in the built environment, who together bridge knowledge and activate collaborative networks spanning biodesign, chemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, engineering, and more.”
The laboratory covers an area of 90 square metres and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the creation, characterisation, and application of bio-based, biofabricated, and nanotechnological materials.
