The Metropolitan Regional Council has approved the creation of the first Circular Economy Technology Center for the Metropolitan Region. The new center will be funded equally by the Government of Santiago and the Sustainable Productive Development Program, which is led by the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism and Corfo.
The project has a budget of 9.7 billion pesos, with investment split between regional government funds and national initiatives aimed at sustainable economic development. The center aims to promote cleaner, more efficient production models among businesses in the region.
Over its first decade, the center is expected to serve more than 6,000 companies by providing specialized services, training programs, technical assistance, and high-standard facilities for technology pilots. The initiative seeks to address current gaps in infrastructure and advanced human capital that limit large-scale adoption of circular solutions.
Claudio Orrego, Governor of Santiago, said: “The creation of this Technology Center is a decisive step toward making the Metropolitan Region a hub for sustainable innovation. We are investing in capacities and infrastructure that will allow thousands of companies to advance toward a circular economy, improve their competitiveness and build a cleaner and more responsible future for Santiago.”
Álvaro García Hurtado, Minister of Economy, emphasized: “This Technology Center will enable more companies in the region to innovate, develop new solutions and adapt to the demands of an increasingly sustainable economy. The approval from Gore Metropolitano adds to efforts by other regional governments such as Ñuble, Los Lagos and Los Ríos where joint funding supports initiatives that will change these regions’ productive landscape through greater technological sophistication. This is an effective contribution to productivity growth in coming years.”
The center’s work will focus on six strategic areas: ecodesign; water circularity; new sustainable materials; secondary materials markets; servitization; and Industry 4.0.
It will also offer services designed to accelerate business innovation related to circularity. These include research and development for technologies that turn waste into products; material innovation such as wool-based insulation or bags made from textile scraps; advanced analysis including life cycle assessment and eco-labeling; training programs for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); prototyping and pilot testing such as compostable packaging trials; as well as digitalization efforts integrating sensors or automation to reduce defects or waste.
Gloria Moya Coloma, Regional Director at Corfo Metropolitana stated: “This Technology Center will be key for accelerating sustainable productive transformation in our region. At Corfo we see this center as a concrete long-term opportunity so that local businesses can strengthen their technical capabilities, human capital and technology—crucial steps for improving productivity, competitiveness and growth while being environmentally responsible.”
The project’s approval will be formalized through an agreement among the Government of Santiago, Ministry of Economy and Corfo. Funds are set for disbursement between 2026–2035. Corfo will administer resources and oversee a public tender process to select which institution operates the center.
