The Chairman and CEO of Inria visited Chile within the framework of the signing of the strategic agreement with the Ministry of Science.

From November 19 to 21, the Chairman and CEO of Inria, Bruno Sportisse, visited Chile within the framework of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Chile and the signing of the strategic agreement between the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation and Inria for the creation of a Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence, which took place in this context in a ceremony led by the heads of state, the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron..

Also, accompanied by Nayat Sánchez-Pi, Director of Inria Chile, he conducted activities with key players in the country's digital sciences and technologies ecosystem. These actors have been crucial collaborators during Inria Chile's 12 years and will continue to be important for its future in the country. These include the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Knowledge; the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID); the Universidad de Chile; and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

The Chairman and CEO of Inria held a meeting with the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry, which was also attended by Gonzalo Arenas, Head of International Relations of the respective ministry. During this meeting, they were able to share their common visions for the future Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence, the next steps as strategic allies, and the participation of Chile and Inria in the upcoming Summit on Artificial Intelligence Action to be held in Paris in February 2025.

Additionally, Bruno Sportisse, along with Nayat Sánchez-Pi, met with Alejandra Pizarro, National Director of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), who was accompanied by Geraldine Kerneur, scientific advisor to the Agency. They shared the expectations and collaborations between the two institutions. Also present at the meeting were Paulina Vilchez, international area coordinator; Helen Ipinza, Head of the Department of Development and Innovation Initiatives; Nicole Ehrenfeld, Acting Deputy Director, Sub-Directorate of Centers and Associative Research; and Andrea Cibotti, Head of the Department of Linkages and Networks.

Sportisse also met with two of Chile's leading universities to discuss the creation of the Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence: the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad de Chile. He met with the President of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, and the Vice President for Research, Pedro Bouchon.

He also met with Professor Rosa Devés, President of the Universidad de Chile, along with José Correa, Vice President of Information Technologies; Francisco Martínez, Dean of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences; and Jaime San Martín, winner of the National Prize for Exact Sciences 2023. The goal was to strengthen the alliance between Inria, Inria Chile, and these key partners in the scientific and digital ecosystem, as well as to outline the main axes of collaboration within the framework of the Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence.

In a ceremony held at La Moneda presidential palace and presided over by the heads of state, Gabriel Boric, President of Chile, and Emmanuel Macron, President of France, the Ministry of Science and Inria signed the Strategic Agreement for the creation of the Franco-Chilean Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence. The document was signed by Chile's Minister of Science, Aisén Etcheverry; Bruno Sportisse, Chairman and CEO of Inria; and Nayat Sánchez-Pi, Director of Inria Chile.

After this ceremony, the Ministry of Science of Chile and Inria Chile organized a cocktail party to celebrate with the Chilean AI ecosystem the signing of the Agreement for the Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence.

During the event, Nayat Sánchez-Pi welcomed the guests and invited them to celebrate this new milestone for the Franco-Chilean cooperation in artificial intelligence. She then gave the floor to the Chairman and CEO of Inria, Bruno Sportisse, who presented his vision for Inria's cooperation with Chile and its ecosystem, as well as his vision for the future of Inria Chile and the Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence. On this occasion, he highlighted: “The agreement is based on a very ambitious vision for AI, a shared vision between both countries, between Chile and France. I am proud that the agreement was signed at La Moneda, in presence of the Chilean President, Gabriel Boric, and of the French President, Emmanuel Macron. It illustrates how strategic this agreement is for both countries.”

Sportisse also emphasized that it represents a new way of operating for Inria Chile, saying, “this is a new positioning, and this requires to reinforce the partnerships both with the Chilean ecosystem and with the French ecosystem of AI, which includes academia (that is: universities), innovative companies, AI-driven startup companies and public bodies when necessary.”

Next, the Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation of Chile, Cristián Cuevas, spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Science of Chile and its minister, Aisén Etcheverry. He emphasized the importance of the creation of the Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence for the Ministry of Science, the AI ecosystem, and Chile.

In addition to the authorities from the Ministry of Science of Chile, this gathering of Chile's artificial intelligence ecosystem included the presence of authorities such as Hellmut Lagos, Head of the Energy, Science and Technology & Innovation Division (DECYTI) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile; Alejandra Pizarro, National Director of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID); and representatives from public and private institutions, universities, research centers, companies, startups, researchers, and student collaborators of Inria Chile.

During the celebration event, the more than 60 participants were able to explore a demo space showcasing Inria Chile's AI projects, presented by their team:

• Plancton: a plankton classifier that is part of the OcéanIA project to support the biological community.

• Smartagro: digital platforms and development of AI models for agricultural management.

• Airward: convergence between artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicles for the monitoring and early warning of forest fires.

• Huemul: a Spanish-Mapudungun translator using advanced AI techniques to help preserve and revitalize the Mapudungun language.

• L.O.V.E.: a graphical user interface for the operations of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

• EMISTRAL: environmental surveillance and sailboat inspection through transfer, reinforcement, and autonomous learning.