University, company and state began the construction of the Spin Off Bio-packages Center for Technological Development and Innovation, a space that will serve as a stage to advance in the consolidation of the creation of biodegradable packaging, thinking of an undertaking that generates significant income for several families in eight municipalities of the department.

 

With the aim of increasing the levels of applied research in biodegradable packaging and increasing their business development through the creation and launch of a Spin off (a company that arises from a research process), the Government of Cauca, the Consortium Latin American and Caribbean Support for Cassava Research and Development CLAYUCA and the University of Cauca began construction of the first phase of the Spin off Bio-Packages Center for Technological Development and Innovation, located in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

 

The plant, which in its first phase will cost around 1,250 million pesos, arises from the research process led by the CYTBIA Science and Technology Group of Biomolecules of Agroindustrial Interest of Alma Mater.

 

The Vice-rector for Research of the University of Cauca and principal investigator of Bio-Packages technology, Héctor Samuel Villada Castillo, recognized the work of all the human talent of the different Faculties of the Institution that have been part of the research process of biodegradable packaging .

 

“For almost two decades we have worked on this technology that has generated a series of satisfactions. But the fundamental heart is the formation of human talent because we have Master's and Doctorate students who come from undergraduate students who have made significant advances in how to process materials. But they are not only programs of the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences but we also have the support of Law teachers and the Faculty of Humanities as they contribute to preserving this research progress in intellectual property matters, always thinking that they are beneficial to the environment . Everyone is joining these initiatives because there are many areas of knowledge with which to take part in these processes,”said researcher Villada.

 

Popayán, Santander de Quilichao, El Tambo, Cajibío, Morales, Piendamó, Timbío and La Sierra will be the benefited municipalities through this plant because the project for the transfer of knowledge and technology of biodegradable packaging articulates a whole chain, where the first link is small and medium cassava producers who have the support of academia and research to improve the characteristics of starch and its transformation processes.

 

“The idea is that plastic and industrial transformers that work with synthetic materials also participate in this way so that they can adapt to produce with environmentally friendly materials, since many equipment can be adjusted and this gives a possibility in Cauca to articulate chains ”emphasized the Vice-Rector for Research.

 

The Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Luis Alfredo Londoño highlighted the alliance between the University, the State, Business and Society. “Through these achievements, the essence of the university materializes because this is a project that is committed to sustainability through the search for substitutes for oil and that works for the alliance between producers and agribusiness and finally I highlight that it is the first experience that the university has to scale a research project to the productive part ”.

 

Finally, the Governor of the Department, Elías Larrahondo Carabalí concluded by expressing his satisfaction with the work carried out in conjunction with the University and CLAYUCA, since it is committed to sustainability and the reduction of climate change and contributes to the strengthening of family income, resulting in the economic reactivation of the department from the production that is in territorial equity for peace.

 

 

More Info:

 

Vice-rectory for Investigations

Email: vri@unicauca.edu.co