-The Center for Research and Innovation in Fruit Growing for the Southern Zone (16PTECFS-66647) began its activities in 2017. With a duration of 10 years, this is an inter-institutional program where important referents in education and research participate, who work in a coordinated and collaborative manner, with the aim of Increasing fruit R&D&I in Chile, through the articulated execution of portfolios of projects with a long-term vision, which allow shortening the gaps in three specific areas of fruit development to improve the productivity of the sector and contribute to diversify and sophisticate the productive fabric. The co-executing institutions are the Universidad de Chile, the Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Fruticultura (CEAF), the Universidad de La Frontera, the Universidad de Concepción, the Universidad Austral de Chile and the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA)-Carillanca. These institutions are joined by important companies in the industry, which cover practically the entire production line: nurseries, producers, exporters, among others. Thus, the Center focuses on conducting applied research in order to reduce the production gaps in three priority species for the southern part of the country, such as European hazelnut, cherry and walnut. To this end, specific projects are being developed in each of these species in three research areas: Genetic improvement, which seeks to incorporate or generate new rootstocks and/or varieties that allow better adaptability of crops to the southern zone, Sustainability and efficient use of resources, which addresses the adaptability of crops to different soil-climatic zones, using more efficient management strategies in harmony with the environment, and finally Post-harvest and fruit quality, which evaluates how the potential of the fruit is affected by different scenarios, and how it is possible to predict the quality through different technological devices in the southern zone of Chile. It is important to mention that the Centro Fruticultura Sur is supported by Corfo. For more information, visit the website www.centrofruticulturasur.cl