– SMEs and startups dedicated to delivering innovative solutions, in terms of products and services, to the national agri-food industry are invited to participate in the contest, which will remain open until July 31. Santiago de Chile, July 2023 – The first International Congress and Fair of innovation and technologies in agri-food, CfiAgrotech, today launched the “Despega Tu Emprendimiento” contest, a call in which all small and medium-sized companies in the agri-food sector can participate, as well as startups that, through the use of new technologies applied to the agri-food sector, deliver innovative solutions and services to national producers, thus allowing them to increase the productivity, efficiency and profitability of their businesses. Registrations will be open between July 6 and 31. Paula Miranda, manager of CfiAgrotech, explained that SMEs and startups interested in participating must answer a brief survey hosted on the website www.cfiagrotech.cl and will be automatically registered in the contest. Concerns regarding the “Despega Tu Emprendimiento” initiative will be resolved in the consultation meetings, which will be held on July 11 and 18, via online, whose link will also be available on the website, or can be sent to concurso@cfiagrotech.cl. “Once registered, participants will be immediately registered in a sort of “digital raffle”, from which 150 companies will be randomly selected during the month of August. Those selected, whether SMEs or startups, will be awarded a significant subsidy (between 60% and 80% of the value of the stand) so that they can participate in the First International Congress and Fair of Innovation and Technologies in Agrifood” in areas specially designed for them with Pitch and Match making services at their disposal, said the executive. Business Networking For both SMEs and startups, networking is a recognized business expansion and management tool that allows them to reach a wider market, share innovative ideas and establish strategic alliances with great future potential. However, there is a lack of recent research on the impact and benefits of one of its key actions, namely attending events and trade fairs. CfiAgrotech signed a collaboration agreement with Harvard, Yale, Duke and Boston universities to conduct a study to evaluate the impact of participating in trade fairs and expanding their networks for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, as well as to understand the adoption of technologies in the agri-food sector. This, with the aim of closing production gaps between companies and, at the same time, increasing the productivity of the sector in the context of the stagnation it has experienced in the last decade. On the other hand, considering that the State usually implements public policies to encourage the participation of companies in this type of commercial exhibitions, and that there is no solid evidence on the return on investment, it is expected that the results of the research will provide inputs to evaluate the scope and relevance of this type of policies. Along with CfiAgrotech and the support of Harvard, Yale, Duke and Boston universities, the study is supported by the Luksic Foundation and CORFO, and sponsored by the National Society of Agriculture, Transforma Alimentos, TheYieldLab, Fundacion Chile, Imagine, the Ministry of Economy and the Productivity Commission. The First International Congress and Fair of Innovation and Technologies in Agri-Food, CfiAgrotech, which will bring together the most relevant actors of the global agri-food industry, will be held between October 24 and 26 in Parque Fisa (Route 68 S / N, Pudahuel), Santiago. Survey and Contest Entry Link https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0T9tRvQ5dz3lq86 More information: www.cfiagrotech.cl