La Serena hosted the international academic meeting “Connecting Minds, Energizing the Future”, initiative was the result of joint efforts between OLADE, the Ministry of Energy of Chile, Santo Tomás Institutions, ISA Energía, CIDERE Coquimbo, and the Regional Government of Coquimbo. The meeting focused on the role of higher and technical education in promoting innovation, technology transfer, and the development of human capital for an inclusive energy transition. It brought together academic leaders, experts, authorities, and representatives from the energy sector across Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition.
The event, held at Santo Tomás University, featured the participation of national and regional authorities, academics, and specialists. Chile’s Undersecretary of Energy, Luis Felipe Ramos, together with Santo Tomás University Rector, Pablo Pinto, highlighted the significance of hosting, for the first time, an international event in La Serena that connects academia with the energy sector.
Rector Pablo Pinto emphasized:
“We are very pleased that OLADE, for the first time, comes to a region of a host country —in this case, La Serena— bringing together academic, business, public, and private sector actors in a single academic and business event. To bring this initiative to the region, we worked alongside OLADE, ISA Energía, and the Regional Government to showcase how attractive it is to invest in the energy sector and, through that, to generate development opportunities with an international event of this nature.”
Luis Llano, General Manager of ISA Energía, underscored the value of collaboration among different actors:
“As we unite wills and experiences, we can ensure an energy system that delivers reliability and confidence throughout the country. Sharing knowledge among Latin American actors is essential to move toward regional energy integration— a shared challenge that requires addressing common obstacles across all our nations.”
For his part, Undersecretary of Energy Luis Felipe Ramos stated:
“As the Ministry and host country of this major Latin American gathering, we are pleased to start this Energy Week in La Serena —a clear sign of our efforts to decentralize the energy dialogue. It is encouraging to see academic and industry stakeholders from various countries come together to build knowledge and collaboration. We know the energy sector will require numerous new jobs focused on renewable energies, sustainability, and data intelligence. Therefore, strengthening capacity development and professional specialization is essential for our region to move forward in alignment with the energy transition.”
OLADE’s Executive Secretary, Andrés Rebolledo Smitmans, highlighted:
“This meeting represents a step toward consolidating a regional energy agenda that combines education, innovation, and sustainability. The convergence of academic leaders, authorities, and energy experts will foster strategic alliances and strengthen the capacities that Latin America and the Caribbean need to accelerate a just, inclusive, and climate-aligned energy transition.”
As part of the event, OLADE and the Santo Tomás Professional Institute and Technical Training Center formalized a strategic alliance to promote technical and academic cooperation in sustainability, climate change, and a just energy transition. The agreement, signed by Andrés Rebolledo and Juan Pablo Guzmán, Regional Rector of Santo Tomás, includes joint programs, expert exchanges, and projects aimed at strengthening regional energy integration.
The meeting’s agenda included panels on women and STEM, energy education, public policy and academia, climate change, innovation with artificial intelligence and new technologies, as well as a roundtable on applied research for regional integration. Participants included representatives from universities in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Brazil, as well as leaders from the energy sector and regional organizations.
The event concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen ties between academia, governments, and the private sector to advance toward a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
