CATA’s General Manager participated in the Dual Hub Summit in Concepción

The event brought together the main players in the innovation ecosystem to promote dual-use technologies applicable to the civil and defense sectors.

The Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA) was part of the Dual Hub Summit 2025, the first national meeting focused on dual-use technologies, held on May 6 and 7 at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, in Concepción. The event was organized by Know Hub Chile and brought together leaders of the innovation ecosystem with the aim of promoting the development, financing and scaling of technological solutions with both civil and military applications.

CATA’s general manager, Dr. Elise Servajean Bergoeing, participated as a speaker in the block “Synergies for Dual Innovation”, where she shared the Center’s experience in the generation of technologies derived from astronomy that today have an impact on other industries.

“At CATA we have driven the development of dual technologies from our capabilities in astronomical instrumentation. First we consolidated a solid base in research within the astronomical field, and then we expanded that knowledge to non-astronomical sectors, always maintaining our principles of excellence and innovation. We share how we have moved from fundamental science to concrete applications,” explained the astronomer.

Servajean also highlighted the strategic value of this type of meetings to connect key actors of the national ecosystem: “We need spaces where representatives of defense, academia and industry converge. These are worlds that do not always interact directly, but when they do, they can generate powerful synergies for the country’s development”.

In this regard, he stressed that CATA’s participation seeks to strengthen its position as a key player in the innovation ecosystem and to generate new strategic alliances: “We want to show the ecosystem the technologies we are developing, listen to their needs and offer solutions that contribute to improving their productive and technological processes”.

The Dual Hub Summit included conferences, panels, networking sessions and technology demonstrations, and is projected as a key milestone to position Chile as a benchmark in Latin America in dual technology innovation. The event was sponsored by Corfo, ANID, the branches of the Armed Forces and was sponsored by Lockheed Martin.