Chile: Market exploration & Expo Innova Salud - follow-up report

Keynote speech at the Expo Innova Salud innovation congress

A special highlight was the participation in Expo Innova Salud, the leading congress for medical innovation in Chile, which took place from July 31 to August 2, 2025 at the Universidad des Chile Santiago.

Julia Ott was invited to give the opening keynote. Under the title "Driving Health Innovation - Insights from Bavaria's Health Ecosystem", she presented the Bavarian innovation network for digital health and medical technology. She showed how Bayern Innovativ networks players from business, science and healthcare in order to jointly promote new technologies and trends. The congress was accompanied by an exhibition at which Bavarian companies such as ACTO and Geratherm were also represented at the joint stand of Bayern International.

Award ceremony as part of the Digital Health Innovation Challenge Chile & Bavaria 2025

Another highlight was the Digital Health Innovation Challenge Chile & Bavaria 2025, organized by the Bavarian Representative Office South America, where Chilean start-ups presented their innovative solutions for the healthcare sector. The finalists presented their projects live in front of an audience. As part of the international jury, Julia Ott presented the winner, the start-up Pegasi, with the main prize: a boarding pass for a visit to Bavaria to make initial contacts and explore market entry. Pegasi is developing an AI-supported platform for faster diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. The aim is to better integrate clinical data and thus increase the quality and efficiency of therapy. We look forward to welcoming Pegasi to Bavaria soon and to networking with the Bavarian innovation ecosystem.

Visits to key players in the Chilean health ecosystem

The program also included numerous visits to key players in the Chilean healthcare system. These included the association of suppliers to the healthcare industry APIS AG, the Heidelberg Center for Latin America, the medical technology working group of AHK Chile, the national center for digital transformation in the healthcare sector CENS, the start-up center Start-Up Chile by Corfo as well as scientific institutions such as the Institute of Science and Innovation in Medicine at UDD University and the Institute of Biomedical Science at Andrés Bello University.The on-site discussions provided valuable insights into the current challenges facing the Chilean healthcare system. It became clear that gaps in care for chronic illnesses, long waiting times, insufficient data availability and inequalities in access characterize the system. Primary care is undersized, which is why Chile is increasingly relying on coordinated, digital and territorial approaches to improve efficiency and equity. At the same time, it became clear that Chile, with its technological and institutional resources and its openness to international partnerships, has great potential to achieve decisive progress in the healthcare system through digital innovations.

Would you like to find out more about the Chilean medical technology market?

You can find the latest GTAI sector report with comprehensive information here: Medical Technology Chile

Are you interested in driving innovation together with Chilean partners?

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Chilean innovation agency Corfo regularly support German-Chilean research and development projects. In Germany, funding is provided via the Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM), in Chile via the "Crea y Valida - ZIM" program of Innova Chile. The project sponsors AiF Projekt GmbH and Innova Chile provide support with submission, assessment and implementation.
Current calls for proposals and deadlines can be found here: Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) - Chile

Would you like to find out more about opportunities for Bavarian companies in the Chilean market?

In collaboration with partners and experts, the International Scouting project has identified opportunities for Bavarian companies in Chile, including in the healthcare sector. Further information and scouting results can be found here.