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“We are very grateful because they believed in our project, our energy and our businesses. That speaks to the fact that SQM, as well as the universities and the public sector, have their eyes on the communities in the region, so we are happy with all these good vibes and their desire to support us.” With these words, Rocío Gómez, executive director of the Rustic Market Entrepreneurs’ Trade Association (Asociación Gremial de Emprendedores Mercadito Rústico), highlighted the first version of Activa Fest, an initiative that brought together more than 70 local entrepreneurs and was organized by SQM, the Regional Secretariat for the Economy, Development and Tourism, the Municipality of Iquique and UNAP.

The initiative, which sought to contribute to the development of the region’s entrepreneurs by giving them a large commercial showcase, lasted four days in one of the busiest areas of the city.

“It is a very powerful opportunity to support local entrepreneurship, so we are very pleased with the attendance during the four days. Entrepreneurship is a fundamental focus for SQM, where we develop a series of initiatives that seek to contribute in the field of sustainability, agriculture and other innovative ideas that this time came together here. As a company, we will continue to support these initiatives by collaborating with universities and national and municipal governments,” said Pablo Pisani, Director of Communities and Public Affairs for SQM’s Nitrate and Iodine businesses.

During the kick-off ceremony, a collaboration agreement was signed between SQM and the universities of Tarapacá (UTA), Arturo Prat (UNAP), Santo Tomás and Inacap, with the objective of committing and coordinating new spaces to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region.

In this regard, the rector of UNAP, Alberto Martinez, said that “the alliances between the public-sector, the private-sector and academia allow us to generate spaces rich in opportunities for communities, where entrepreneurship is essential. That is why we make ourselves available, signing this commitment to generate spaces for training and support to entrepreneurs in Tarapacá.”

For the mayor of Iquique, Mauricio Soria, this type of event is fundamental to supporting local ideas. “As a municipality we are happy to be part of this fair, where we mostly see women entrepreneurs. It is also an event that allows us to recover public spaces, so we are grateful for this virtuous circle, where SQM, the government, academia and the municipality join forces,” added the mayor.

Jorge Julio, Tarapacá’s Regional Secretary of Economy, Development and Tourism, recognized the event organizers, highlighting the role entrepreneurs play in the ecosystem and the local economy. “We are pleased with this partnership, which allowed us to hold a great party that highlighted the role of local entrepreneurship, turning this space into a boulevard enjoyed by the entire community.”

The initiative, which was supported by Santo Tomás, Inacap, Mercadito Rústico, the Tarapacá Circular Economy Trade Association (Asociación Gremial de Economía Circular AGEC Tarapacá), Emprende Arte and Kurumi Warmy, also included a kick-off ceremony with a presentation from Pamela Castro, co-founder of Modulab, a Latin American benchmark and specialist in inclusiveness and the upcycling, design and manufacturing of products made from environmentally friendly materials.

“With my experience I want to inspire future generations to take their projects forward, to collaborate with each other and to build networks and alliances. It is very important to work as a team. Here we see that many trade associations support each other and that makes me very happy, to see many women leading innovative ventures,” added Pamela Castro at the end of her presentation.

Each day of the event included workshops and talks related to sustainable ideas, innovative ways to do business and environmental stewardship. This line-up was in addition to artistic expressions, children’s shows and the culinary offering from 16 local food trucks.

After the traditional ribbon cutting, the authorities toured the nearly 70 stands, spending time with the entrepreneurs and highlighting the environmental and sustainable commitment of the vast majority of the entrepreneurial world in Tarapacá.