With the presence of representatives from the European Union, UNESCO, Fundación Chile España and the Bank of Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), among other important national and regional authorities, as well as sector leaders, academics and entrepreneurs, this event began, which aims to position the Chilean Patagonia as an important innovation and entrepreneurship hub around the blue economy.

Various national and foreign delegations participated this Monday 12 May in the start of Blue Week Los Lagos 2025, international meeting - driven by Patagonia Ocean Hub and managed by Këtrawa and Fundación Chile España- that seeks to position the Chilean Patagonia as a hub global for the blue economy. 

The opening day, which took place at the City-Port Link Centre of Empormontt, in Puerto Montt, featured the participation of the regional governor, Alejandro Santana, as well as representatives from CORFO, the European Union in Chile, UNESCO, the Chile-Spain Foundation and Canada's Ocean Supercluster, as well as various authorities, parliamentarians, sector representatives and special guests. 

"We want to extend a warm welcome and thank those who are with us on this opening day. Today, we are bringing to life a week that includes a diverse range of activities," said the general manager of Këtrawa, María José Urrutia.

The ocean is not only a victim of climate change; it is also a protagonist in its solution. Chile, with more than 6,000 km of coastline, with its coastal towns, scientists, communities, industries and, above all, with its living and daily relationship with the sea, has a unique opportunity to lead. But this leadership is not built alone, but by bringing together worlds that do not always speak to each other. In this space, we have brought together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, decision-makers, guilds, students and artists, along with authorities from Chile and the world, in an unlikely, but absolutely necessary network," he added. 

The regional governor, meanwhile, thanked that an event of this magnitude is taking place in the Los Lagos region.

"The sea is our future, especially in a region like this, where the activity of the sea and aquaculture, mainly, are so relevant; a true productive engine for our country. That is why we must all join in, both the public, private and scientific worlds, to initiatives like this, like Blue Week Los Lagos," said Alejandro Santana. The regional authority also called for working together so that the local productive activities linked to the sea become increasingly competitive.

By the same token, the executive director of CAF Chile, Óscar Guevara, highlighted the importance of promoting, from governments and local economies, the sustainable use of the oceans.

"Chile has had an extremely important role in this area. We have been supporting the participation and the building of the agenda that this country has been leading for the establishment of stronger agreements around the conservation, management and sustainable use of the seas," he said. 

The EU Ambassador in Chile and Representative to ECLAC, Claudia Gintersdorfer“It is an honor to be able to accompany them today in an event that reflects the joint commitment of local communities, academics, entrepreneurs and institutions, many of them international, for a bluer, more sustainable and more conscious future. I want to congratulate the organizers for this valuable initiative.” 

He added that “the region of Los Lagos, due to its natural wealth, coasts, biodiversity and history by the sea, is the ideal scenario to reflect and act around the blue economy.” He noted that in the European Union “we know that the ocean is a source of life, food, employment, energy and innovation. But we also recognize that it faces serious threats.” In that regard, it stressed the importance of protecting marine ecosystems, promote the responsible use of resources and promote technological innovation in this field.

The opening was also attended by the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Esther Kuisch Laroche, who addressed the institution's efforts to promote ocean care.

“UNESCO has been a pioneering organization in ocean sciences. In 1960, he created the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), an agency that has led international coordination in marine research, becoming a reference for the global scientific community,” he said.  

“Today, however, the ocean is in danger. Climate change is taking its toll. The waters warm up and become more acidic. Ecosystems suffer and marine biodiversity suffers from pollution and plastic. In this context, the protection of the ocean as a sustenance of life is a fundamental area that urges us all,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development. “It’s a unique opportunity for scientists and all stakeholders in different sectors to develop scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and leverage advances in ocean science to achieve better understanding and propose science-based solutions,” he concluded. 

Blue Week Los Lagos continues on Tuesday May 13 with the central theme: “Blue Economy: Articulation towards the Ocean”. The Executive Vice President of CORFO, José Miguel Benavente, will open the meeting with the exhibition “Potential of Chile, technology and oceans”, to give way, later, to the talk of the Sub-Manager of Ecosystems of Entrepreneurship of the same institution, María Patricia Cruzwho will present a “Diagnosis of the Lakes Ecosystem”.

After the presentations have been completed, the participants will be distributed in working tables which will analyse various topics related to the ocean economy. The first will address the issue of Innovation and Blue Ecosystem. The second table, meanwhile, will focus on Blue Economy Financing. Finally, the third table will be on Blue Measurement and Traceability. Once the work of each group has been completed, the agreements will be presented to all participants.

At the end of the day, the members of the international delegation will visit a salmonid growing centre, where they will learn about the production process and the various technological innovations that the industry has incorporated in line with the sustainability of the marine ecosystem.   

Wednesday, meanwhile, will be the day of “Ocean, science and innovation”while Thursday 15th will be addressed “Climate solutions from the ocean”. The meeting will conclude on Friday, May 16, with a program focused mainly on the community, focused on the “Art and culture in oceans”. 

Blue Week Los Lagos 2025 is part of the actions of the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) led by UNESCO. It is supported by a broad network of partners national and internationalThese include: Corfo, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Intesal, SalmonChile, Armasur, AmiChile, Ecosystem Los Lagos, PER Mejillón de Chile, Ocean Visions, Tendencia & Territorio, Naviera Austral, Südlich Capital, Avonni, Fundación Cortés Solari, The Nature Conservancy Fund, Vantrust, Knowhub, Fundación Chile, Watermind, BCI, Hotel Bellavista, Soluciones Digitales and Vinoteca.

For more information, check out the schedule and sign up for Blue Week Los Lagos, you can visit the page www.ketrawalab.com/blueweekloslagos.