Mazars and the CGCUC held the event: "Traditional companies and startups: Opportunities for innovation"

On the occasion, Hernán Orellana, director of BCI, explained that the board must ask the right questions: How will customers use our products and services in 10 more years? Who will be our competitors in 5 more years? What skills and competencies will our collaborators require? What should the work culture be to attract and retain these talents?

Then, Bernardita Araya, manager of CMPC Ventures, recounted the company's experience and highlighted the importance of the relationship with the external ecosystem, but also with the internal one. "We want to be a venture catalyst and not a venture capitalist," she said.

Meanwhile, the corporate manager of Grupo GTD Innovation and Development, Tomás Gil, spoke about the company's experience with corporate innovation and the connection with startups: "GTD collaborates and attracts startups with a clear offer of value, of common development of supply and an accelerated international Go to market”.

The director of this Center for Corporate Governance at UC, Luis Hernán Paúl explained that Corporate Venturing has been developing since 1960 and that today we are in the fourth wave in which engagement with startups is key. “In order not to lose value with disruption, the relevant question in companies is not whether or not they should engage with startups, but what are the best ways to do so,” he commented.

The closing words of this breakfast with company directors were given by Juan Pablo Hess, partner of Mazars, who highlighted the concept of open innovation. “Open innovation is the best for innovation. The biggest challenge: the necessary cultural change,” he stated.

This event joins other activities carried out this year by Mazars and the Center for Corporate Governance of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: the webinar "The growing importance of post-Covid-19 sustainability", and the breakfast "How companies and their boards face the threats and opportunities of the pandemic.”