The agreement, signed on Tuesday during the international AQUASUR 2026 fair, aims to promote R&D activities, as well as developments in aquatic health, biotechnology and genomics, in order to make concrete contributions to the main health challenges affecting the sector.
Tuesday 24 March, the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Chile (Favet) and ADL Diagnostic Chile –along with its associated companies TEKBios, Sealice Partners y AVHA Group- signed a scientific cooperation agreement that aims to work jointly and increase the level of knowledge associated with relevant health challenges faced by aquaculture production.
The main objective of the agreement - signed in the stand from Favet the opening day of the international AQUA SUR 2026 fair, in the Los Lagos region - is to promote the joint generation of services, studies, research projects and other initiatives that can lead to common results and products, respecting the contribution, autonomy and authorship of each of the entities according to the previously individualized academic and technical products.
This strategic alliance - which will drive activities of R&D, as well as developments in aquatic health, biotechnology and genomics - responds to the need to collaboratively address the complex health challenges affecting aquaculture and which directly impact the sustainability and competitiveness of the activity.
On this occasion, the dean of Favet, Dr. José Manuel Yáñez, stated that "this agreement strengthens the commitment of the University of Chile and our faculty to the salmon farming industry in terms of health and animal welfare. We have sealed this collaboration with an organization that has more than 20 years of experience in the diagnosis of fish diseases. Several institutions are associated in this alliance which will allow us to enhance the role" from the university in the territory and the productive sector"
The general manager of ADL Diagnostic Chile, Patricio Bustos, also valued the agreement, which from the side of Favet also involves the Collaborating Center of the World Organization for Animal Health CASA, the INOCUIVET, FARMAVET and Aquaculture Genetics and Genomics laboratories, and the Center for Research and Innovation in Aquaculture (CRIA). He stated that "the team from the University of Chile is very strong in terms of R&D. ADL, together with our sister companies, we also make a constant effort in this area. In this way, we believe that this alliance will be very beneficial and, undoubtedly, will become a significant and real contribution to the sector.
Similar vision had the general manager of TEKBios –an experimental center specialized in bioassay services for the aquaculture industry–, Pablo Ibarra, who stated that "we have been working for a good time with the University of Chile in an environment of great synergy and mutual support. Today, we are very happy to sign this agreement, as it will allow us to continue advancing in very relevant processes that, we hope, will open the doors to new studies, developments and scientific information available to boost the aquaculture industry.
In turn, the general manager of Sealice Partners - a company that provides R&D and specialized services in the evaluation and monitoring of solutions against Cáligus - María Isabel Pizarro, highlighted that "for us, this collaboration is very relevant. One of our guidelines is to offer services closely linked to the development of research. In this sense, we are delighted to be able to take this step and complement the vast experience of" Favet in R&D with our deep knowledge about the parasite.
To close, Hugo Roa, technical director of AVHA Group, a company that will start its operations in Brazil in a few months, emphasized that "this agreement has a lot to do with the genesis of our company, which was born to support Brazilian aquaculture in terms of health, incorporating the knowledge gained from more than three decades of work and all the Chilean experience accumulated. Brazilian aquaculture is relevant on a global level and, for the same reason, it involves important and complex challenges. We will make available to this industry the best of each of our associated companies. AVHA Group is a diagnostic centre, biotechnology, bioassays and genetic programmes platform created through an association between ADL, VeHiCe and Aquages.
RESEARCH AREAS
The parties agreed that the cooperation will be developed in the following priority areas of research, development and innovation in aquaculture: Genetics and genomics applied to disease resistance; Metagenomics, analysis of resistoma and microbiomes; Optimization of the use of antimicrobials; Pharmacological residues and quality control; Functional nutrition and immunity; Metabolic disorders; Tests in vivo for vaccines, treatments and health solutions; and Prevention and control of Caligidosis, among others.
