The workshop “Connecting Minds, Transforming Realities,” which will serve as a prelude to RedCLARA’s annual meeting TICAL2025, invites researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals to experience a unique hands-on innovation journey. The event will take place on November 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Hilton Cariari Hotel in San José. During the day, participants will learn how to turn ideas into real projects, explore successful methodologies from the region, and discover how research and education networks can transform concepts into concrete solutions that benefit society.
The official launch of the workshop took place on September 9 during the webinar “Innovation with Purpose: When the Network Maximizes Its Impact,” a dialogue space that served as an introduction and preparation for participants of the in-person workshop.
Carlos Gamboa, Scientific Coordinator of RedCONARE, the host institution of TICAL2025, highlighted that “the workshop will provide a space to foster collaboration, creative thinking, and the exchange of experiences, as well as serve as an incentive for those developing innovation projects within their institutions and organizations.”
The workshop methodology is organized into four main modules. The first will cover the fundamentals of open innovation, emphasizing how collaborative work enhances creativity and generates sustainable solutions. The second module will explore Costa Rica’s innovation ecosystem, its opportunities, and the key actors involved. The third module will present the RedCLARA Innovation Hub methodology, designed to transform ideas into viable prototypes and projects. Finally, the fourth module will analyze the role of research and education networks in fostering collaboration among academia, businesses, government, and society, strengthening innovation ecosystems.
Registration is now open: https://eventos.redclara.net/event/1179/
Introductory Webinar
The webinar “Innovation with Purpose: When the Network Maximizes Its Impact,” organized by RedCLARA, RedCONARE, Inventta Latam, and Brazil’s RNP Network, featured two experts: Jimmy Cruz Jiménez, a political scientist and head of the Business Intelligence and Articulation Unit at the Costa Rican Innovation Promotion Agency, and Mauricio Reyes Ariza, Director of Inventta LATAM and founder of Tecnología e Innovación Inversiones, who has over 15 years of experience in driving innovation in both public and private sectors in the region.
At the opening, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, Executive Director of RedCLARA, emphasized that the organization develops initiatives to promote innovation in digital infrastructure and technologies across Latin America and the Caribbean, activating the coordination of stakeholders in open innovation processes.
During his presentation, Jimmy Cruz stressed that coordination connects vision, resources, and commitments to make innovation a real tool for Costa Rica’s well-being. He provided an overview of the national ecosystem and the role of the Innovation Promotion Agency in channeling funds and supporting calls aligned with national science, technology, and education policies. He highlighted programs like Innovatec, which support innovation projects for SMEs and entrepreneurs, while other calls promote research aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Innovation is not a destination, but a path built through clear policies and bold alliances,” he concluded.
Mauricio Reyes, in turn, reflected on innovation as a purpose-driven competitive strategy. He highlighted how technology and human ingenuity have transformed scarcity into abundance, citing examples such as the evolution of aluminum and the widespread adoption of mobile phones. He noted that exponential technologies like artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and quantum computing provide tools to address critical challenges such as access to clean water and energy. “Innovation itself carries no ethical bias; it is up to us to give it purpose and direct its impact toward what truly matters,” he said.
The specialist also emphasized the importance of collaboration and network-building. “When tackling complex problems, the only way to address them is by working together. Starting from a purpose-driven vision, collaboration becomes essential,” he added.
