TechTraPlastiCE - Strengthening University tech transfer capabilities to support circular economy value chains for plastics in Latin America

This project aims to reinforce the applied research and technological transfer capacities of the universities improving their services portfolios to strengthen the plastic industry's contribution to the green transition. Given that plastic waste is a wicked problem, the ambition is to foster the collaboration and partnerships of the University with socio-economic stakeholders to incubate, establish and develop circular initiatives, demonstrating operational success by carrying out joint recycling interventions integrating actors in the plastics value chain in Colombia, Argentina, and Chile. Based on a progressive technology transfer and innovation approach, the primary focus is to facilitate dynamic knowledge exchanges, fostering an environment that encourages active and modular educational collaborations between universities and industries. The major impact relies on establishing enduring partnerships that contribute to long-term engagement between academia and industry to build interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder advances for research, innovation and educational/training capacities for plastic waste and circular economy. The documentation of these collective experiences will be crucial as it provides valuable insights for formulating institutional recommendations applicable to both the global South and the European Union. The proposed recommendations aim to offer a better and more natural mechanism of transfer between universities and engagement with the external socio-economic actors with the implementation of practical training programs, internships, and industry cases within the educational framework. These outputs seek to improve the overall educational experience, fostering active engagement with both the business sector and research endeavors on the green practices for a circular economy and enhance the capacities of Higher Educational Institutions -HEIs- to effectively collaborate with the plastic value chains in Colombia, Chile and Argentina.