With more than 20 years of experience in applied research and technological development, Dr. Juan Carlos Carrasco Moraga currently leads the Technological Development Unit (UDT) of the Universidad de Concepción, an institution recognized for its ability to generate concrete solutions for productive sectors such as pulp, paper, bioenergy and sustainable materials. D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of West Virginia and Chemical Civil Engineer from the University of Concepción, his career has been deeply linked to the technological development of the country and, in particular, to the forestry sector.

Carrasco knows the UDT from its foundations: he was part of the founding team of the center in 1996, in a context in which the link between university and industry was beginning to consolidate as a strategic axis for regional development. For 14 years he led the Environment area, focusing on technological solutions for waste treatment, energy efficiency and emissions reduction. “The UDT was born with an applied vocation. Its essence is to do research with a practical sense and with a direct impact on the productive environment,” he says.

Later, his academic training continued in the United States, where he obtained his doctorate and worked professionally in the installation and operation of biomass energy densification plants.

This international experience, he says, was key to consolidating a systemic and innovative vision of technological development. “In the United States I understood the importance of scaling up processes from the laboratory to industrial levels, a challenge that requires not only technical knowledge, but also management skills and inter-institutional collaboration”.

Upon his return to Chile, Carrasco took on academic duties at the Universidad de Concepción and shortly thereafter was elected as executive director of UDT. “I know the roots of this institution. I came back because of the commitment to its essence: applied research and development with real impact on industry,” he says.

COLLABORATIVE MODEL

Since its beginnings, UDT has cultivated a virtuous relationship with the productive sector, strengthened by its self-financing model, which has demanded relevance, timeliness and effectiveness in each project. “This obliges us to generate relevant proposals, with real impact and usefulness for companies. Our collaboration with companies in the forestry sector, as well as with public programs such as CORFO, FONDEF or FIA, has been essential to keep us current and competitive,” explains Carrasco.

PIONEERS IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY

The center was a pioneer in addressing environmental challenges in the 1990s, long before concepts such as circular economy, sustainability or carbon footprint became a trend.

“We were among the first institutions in Chile to develop technologies for waste valorization, bioproducts and energy efficiency in industrial processes. At that time, talking about bioeconomy was almost visionary,” says the UDT director.

In the pulp and paper industry, the institution has been a key player in the modernization of the sector. It has actively promoted the adoption of clean technologies, innovative processes and low environmental impact solutions. “Chile has a highly technical and competitive forestry industry. Our role is to contribute knowledge and technologies that are up to international standards,” he says. Throughout its history, the UDT has licensed various technologies, has collaborated in the implementation of pilot plants and has generated patents that have been recognized internationally.

One of the strategic pillars of the current administration is to consolidate the link between academia, industry and international research centers.

“The key is to know what is happening worldwide, anticipate trends, propose novel solutions and maintain solid networks. We collaborate with centers of excellence such as VTT in Finland and Fraunhofer in Germany, which have similar structures and strong links with their industries,” says Carrasco.

NEW STRATEGIC LINES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Among the main lines of work for this new stage, the strengthening of technological services with an industrial focus stands out, deepening alliances with strategic companies. “We want to scale technologies that have already been validated at laboratory level and are ready for implementation in real industrial processes. There is a window of opportunity to transfer innovation effectively and quickly.”

Another emerging focus is the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the operation of pilot plants, which represents a high-level technical challenge.

“The challenge is to integrate AI into processes that are neither continuous nor stable, as is the case with pilot-scale trials. There are not many experiences globally, but we believe this is a necessary step to increase efficiency and generate automatic learning that optimizes decision making.”

TOWARDS CROSS-SECTORAL COLLABORATION WITH A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

A third strategic line points to the transfer of knowledge from the forestry sector to other industries such as mining, in the context of commitments to decarbonization and adaptation to climate change. “The bioeconomy – based on the use of renewable raw materials such as forest biomass – is essential to move towards sustainable industrial models. Chilean mining faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, and there we see a great opportunity to apply proven technological solutions in other sectors.”

THE BIOECONOMY IS ESSENTIAL FOR MOVING TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL MODELS

Juan Carlos Carrasco emphasizes that the commitment of the Technological Development Unit (UDT) is not only limited to technology, but that there is also a clear vocation for territorial development, the formation of advanced human capital and the generation of positive social impacts. “Today we are more than 70 professionals from various disciplines, focused on solving real challenges. One of our main purposes is to contribute to the sustainable development of the country, contributing from science and technology to a cleaner, more efficient and environmentally friendly economy”, concludes the professional.

Source: Pulp and Paper