Chilean President visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, visited HZB on 11 June with a delegation of 50 people. Among the highlights of the evening were the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chilean Corporation for the Promotion of Production (CORFO) and HZB and a visit to BESSY II light source.

The official delegation accompanying the Head of State on his presidential trip included representatives of national authorities, parliamentarians, businessmen, academics and researchers plus five ministers. After a short presentation of the research centre, they visited the X-ray source BESSY II and had the opportunity to talk directly to HZB scientists (see picture gallery).

The main topics were thin-film photovoltaics, from basic research to the production process, the development of new types of batteries, the production of green hydrogen and the development of new types of catalyst materials as the key to a climate-neutral industry.

Memorandum of Understanding between CORFO and HZB

During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción*) and HZB. José Miguel Benavente, Executive Vice President of CORFO, and Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB, expressed their delight at the future collaboration. The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to pave the way for new collaborations in renewable energy research, sustainable technology development and innovation, particularly in areas such as photovoltaics, lithium-based batteries, green hydrogen and sustainable fuels.

Chilean Science Minister invited to Falling Walls

Another highlight of the evening was Bernd Rech's official invitation to Aisén Amalia Etcheverry Escudero, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, to attend this year's Falling Walls Summit in Berlin. On 8 November, a plenary table organised by HZB and the Falling Walls Foundation will take place on the topic of "Green transformation through innovation with renewable energies and global synergy".

Chilean delegation visits Europe

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in Adlershof was the last stop on the Berlin programme of the Chilean delegation, which was also accompanied by the Chilean ambassador in Berlin. Through official visits to Germany and Sweden as well as the participation of international bodies in the Peace Summit for Ukraine in Switzerland and at the high-level political forum SDG4 (Sustainable Development Goals 4) on education in France, Chile aims to deepen its relations in Europe.

Chile and Germany currently share the chairmanship of the Climate Club, which now brings together 38 countries. During a press conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Chilean President Boric emphasised the close bilateral relations, including in the field of science: ‘Germany is our most important partner in the European Union and our third most important partner at international level. It is good and important that we maintain and expand ties that go far beyond the economy, for example scientific cooperation and student exchanges."

*CORFO is an organisation of the Chilean government that aims to promote the country's productive activity by increasing competitiveness, research, productive or entrepreneurial innovation, entrepreneurship and investment, as well as strengthening human capital and technological capacity, in order to achieve economic and sustainable development.