With a focus on technology transfer and the development of collective capabilities, the IGNOVA 2026 national meeting was held on May 27 and 28 at UTE University. The event, organized by CEDIA, brought together 205 people, including academic authorities, researchers, and representatives from the productive sector, to address current challenges in science, intellectual property, and investment in R&D&I.
The meeting addressed topics of institutional relevance through panels and specialized talks with international experts from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, and Uruguay. Participants explored innovation management systems, the analysis of academic-productive clusters, and technology monitoring tools as enablers of competitiveness. They also discussed the legal aspects of intellectual property and new models of university-business collaboration, identifying investment opportunities in Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I) within an environment of constant transformation.
The National Invention Fair was also held at the meeting, a strategic showcase designed to highlight the creative and scientific potential of CEDIA's member universities. Following the evaluation of the proposals, the meeting culminated with an awards ceremony for the most outstanding researchers and institutions. The winners were:
- Award for Consolidated Strategic Management: Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja.
- Award for Emerging Strategic Management: Catholic University of Cuenca.
- Best Inventor: Juan Carlos Collantes Vela.
- Best Inventor: Talía Beatriz Tene Fernández.
- Award for Environmental, Social and Governmental Impact: Modular Permeable Reactive Barriers with Caridean Exoskeletons, by inventors Valeria de Lourdes Ochoa Herrera and María Aracely Zambrano Romero.
- Technology Transfer Award: Method to condition cells and induce a regenerative phenotype (Growth Hormone, Epinephrine, Mitochondria, GHEM), by researchers Andrés Bernardo Caicedo Páliz (inventor) and Sebastian Peñaherrera Carofilis (assays).
IGNOVA stood out not only for its discussions but also for fostering methodological networking and direct mentorship with globally experienced experts. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Corporation and the support of UTE University as the host institution, attendees were able to initiate strategic conversations with key partners in the public and private sectors, creating essential synergies for positioning transferable technological capabilities at the national and international levels.