The UIS Guatiguará Headquarters, located in the municipality of Piedecuesta, is the scenario where the initiative “Guatiguará Technological Park – PTG” is hosted, a science, technology and innovation project led by the UIS, to accelerate the development of the regional innovation ecosystem, through the intensification of scientific and technological knowledge, technology transfer between knowledge-generating actors and companies, and the creation of new companies based on knowledge and research.

In addition to its condition as a platform to articulate the generation and intensification of knowledge from the Scientific and Technological Research Groups and Centers of the University with the problems and needs of the productive sector, the PTG plays an important role as a complementary scenario to the Campus mainly oriented to teaching, for the fulfillment of the mission functions of research and extension.

MISSION: The Guatiguará Technology Park is a model of technology and knowledge transfer that contributes to increasing the wealth of the region and the country and the development of an innovative culture, in an environment of excellence, which promotes the creation and growth of technology-based companies and institutions, while supporting the productive transformation of existing strategic sectors.

STRATEGIC AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

– Biotechnology and agribusiness

– Materials

– Information and communications technologies

– Energy resources

CENTRAL LABORATORIES

– X-Ray Diffraction
– Microscopy

– Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

– Mass Spectrometry

– Spectroscopy

– Surface Science

– Petrophysical Analysis

– Petroleum Geochemistry

– Tomography

– Supercomputing and High Performance Scientific Computing

– Molecular Virological Epidemiology

CONSOLIDATED SPACES

– National Lithotheque of the Colombian Geological Service.

– Two Production Development Centers: Corrosion Research Corporation (CIC) and Gas Technology Development Center (CDT del Gas).

– 15,000 square meters of UIS laboratories

– 7,000 square meters for the location of R&D business units (GECT Buildings 1 and 2).

IMPACTS

– Collaboration of the productive sector and academia in the solution of real productive problems.

– Creation of an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and development of technology-based companies that generate high added value.

– Increased attractiveness of the region for the location of national and multinational knowledge-intensive companies.

– Potential increase of foreign investment in the region.

– Increased employment for highly skilled people thanks to the presence of technology-based companies.

PERMANENT AND HIGH QUALITY TRAINING

The scientific and technological equipment installed in the PTG laboratories supports the University’s training processes, fundamentally in aspects related to the research component; this infrastructure, with the due supervision of the faculty and specialized professionals assigned to the laboratories, is used by undergraduate students (undergraduate research project) and graduate students (master’s research work and doctoral theses) to fulfill this requirement to qualify for a degree.

RESEARCH AND EXTENSION.

The facilities installed in the laboratories of the PTG contribute primarily to the fulfillment of the mission of research, both formative (undergraduate students) and more formal, which focuses on the generation of new knowledge, and is materialized in the research work of master’s students, in the theses of doctoral students and in internal and external research projects and scientific and technological cooperation agreements, in which the professors attached to the different research groups and centers that are based there work.

The scientific extension services offered by the PTG consist of the performance and interpretation of laboratory tests, several of them accredited under the ISO 17025 standard, for a wide range of companies and industrial sectors.

Some of the research projects carried out by the University’s Groups and Centers have concluded with the development of protectable knowledge; the UIS has 54 invention patents that need to be made profitable through licensing or the creation of spin offs.

COLLABORATION WITH THE BUSINESS SECTOR.

Several of the research and technology transfer processes carried out by UIS researchers located in the PTG, correspond to the approach of real problems of the business world, in an attempt to give them an adequate solution; in this sense and due to the vocation of the territory, Ecopetrol, through the Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP) is the largest user of our services, using the figures of scientific-technological cooperation agreements and contracts for testing and laboratory testing services. Other companies that maintain a permanent relationship with the PTG are, among others, the National Hydrocarbons Agency, the Colombian Geological Service, and other companies in the pharmaceutical, orthopedic implants and mining sectors.

INTERNATIONALIZATION AND REGIONALIZATION.

Through proper coordination with various departments of the University, the PTG is a platform that facilitates internationalization processes; our laboratories receive students and professors from other institutions that have agreements and collaboration agreements in force with the University; additionally, the equipment installed there are engaged in the implementation of research projects funded with money obtained through public calls or with resources from international cooperation, in which our groups and centers participate together with peers from other institutions in the world.

Regarding regionalization, the PTG permanently receives visits from our students in their first semesters at the Regional Headquarters and from students in their final years of high school from public schools in the departments, in compliance with actions that aim to give greater visibility to the Park and at the same time stimulate and foster the spirit of research among our students.

STRENGTHENING INTERACTION WITH SOCIETY

In an effort to give greater visibility and projection to the development of the PTG, we have permanently attended different visits and held meetings with potential allies and actors interested in formalizing a relationship or providing support.

On the other hand, the Coordination of the PTG – UIS Project attends as part of the institutional representation to all the meetings of the University Enterprise State of Santander CUEES Committee and the Regional Commission of Competitiveness and Innovation SANTANDER COMPETITIVE.

PTG PROJECTION

In order to achieve success in the development of a project of such magnitude, both its main actors and society itself must face great challenges, among which are networking so that the different regional and national actors of the National Science, Technology and Innovation System take ownership of the initiative, achieving the support of central nodes for regional development such as the Regional Commission for Competitiveness and Innovation (SANTANDER COMPETITIVO), the Departmental Council of Science, Technology and Innovation of Santander (CODECTI), the University, Business, State Committee of Santander (CUEES) and national institutions such as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias), which allow articulating the agents of the TC+I system at national and regional level and the management of resources to carry out the development of high quality service infrastructures, among the most important ones.

In the medium term, and within the framework of its Master Plan 2030, the PTG should close its establishment phase to begin a growth stage, which includes, among other actions:

– Formalization of an organizational structure for its management.

– Management to obtain additional economic resources to leverage the new needs for R&D spaces and scientific and technological equipment.

– Creation of a platform for the incubation and acceleration of technology-based companies.

– Creation of specialized units: Promotion – International Cooperation – Technology Assessment and Commercialization – Technology Watch and Competitive Intelligence – Think Tank (CTeI Policies).