Within the framework of the 2025 presidential elections in Chile, Startups Latam contacted three of the La Moneda candidates – Evelyn Matthei, Johannes Kaiser and Marco Enríquez-Ominami – to learn their visions on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
In a country that seeks to diversify its economy and consolidate itself as the region’s digital hub, the three candidates agree that technological development will be key to growth, productivity and job creation, although each one proposes different routes.
Evelyn Matthei (Chile Grande and United Alliance)
- It suggests a National Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development, long-term and with a State vision, to align priorities of government, academia and the private sector.
- It promotes a public-private artificial intelligence plan, with tax incentives, digital literacy programs and attraction of specialized talent.
- It sets specific goals: grow at 4% in the fourth year of government, create one million formal jobs and bring 1 Gbps connectivity to the entire country through 5G, fiber optics and data centers.
- It promotes an Innovation Investment Hub and a new framework for venture capital, even allowing AFP investment in risk funds.
- It proposes simplifying regulation to facilitate the commercialization of innovations from universities and hospitals, promoting spin-offs and technological licenses.
- Bet on telemedicine, the massive digitization of the State and labor reconversion in digital and financial skills for workers, SMEs and older adults.
- It views technology companies as the central axis of economic diversification, the basis of sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
- It aspires to position Chile as a technologically sophisticated country, a leader in clean energy, green hydrogen, astronomy and space technology.
Johannes Kaiser (National Libertarian Party)
- It proposes the creation of the High Technology Center for Innovation and Development (CATID), an ecosystem that integrates companies, universities and the State to produce knowledge and own technology, reducing dependence on imported solutions.
- Promotes the National Sector Development Agency (ANDES), which would replace the fragmented structure of organizations such as CORFO or SERCOTEC, coordinating innovation, productivity and digitalization under a single modern and digital entity.
- It proposes the Mittelstand Chile Plan, inspired by the German model of technological SMEs, to transform thousands of micro, small and medium-sized companies into innovation and export actors.
- It seeks to increase private investment in R&D by 2 or 3 points and double applied scientific production in ten years.
- It promotes the decentralization of digital entrepreneurship, allowing regions, municipalities and cooperatives to develop their own technological services without censorship or bureaucratic obstacles.
- It sees startups as the engine of sustainable growth, and proposes a more flexible environment, tax incentives and better access to technological financing.
- It defends agile technology transfer from universities to the market, with incentives for researchers who participate in the profits of their developments.
- It recommends attracting national and international risk capital through tax exemptions, legal certainty and elimination of regulatory obstacles.
- It aspires to position Chile as a leading technological hub in Latin America, a producer of innovation in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and clean energy.
- Considers that the State should be a facilitator and strategic partner, not an excessive regulator: its role is “to let things happen and let it pass.” Finally, the vision is a free, competitive and technologically sovereign Chile, where innovation is synonymous with economic independence and creative freedom.
Marco Enríquez-Ominami (Progressive Party)
- It seeks to transform Chile from being an extractive country to a cognitive and digitally sovereign country.
- It recommends a Sovereign R&D&I Fund, with public-private investment of up to 0.8% of GDP by 2030, intended to finance national missions in education, energy, digitalization and health.
- It will create the Interministerial Council of Science, Innovation and Productivity (CICOP) and the National Office of Investments and Permits (ONIP) to accelerate technological projects.
- It will promote a National Network of Applied Artificial Intelligence (RNIA) to bring AI to mining, health, agriculture and justice.
- It proposes six strategic development poles: green energy, applied AI, digital health, blue economy, advanced agroindustry and smart manufacturing.
- The State will buy local innovation to boost the ecosystem and generate the internal market.
- It aims for a “second generation of Start-Up Chile”, focused on deep tech, clean energy and sovereign software, with public co-investment and technological guarantees.
- Its goals are an investment in R&D of 0.8% of GDP, 70% insertion of interns, 1.2 million green and digital jobs, and 40% investment in regions.
- Considers digital inclusion a social right, not a privilege, and proposes a National Data Policy with transparency and citizen control.
- It proposes a regulatory, partner and driving State, which shares risks with the private sector and uses innovation as a social contract.
