Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.62
Liaison Alvaro Pena
Submission Date Oct. 10, 2024

STARS v2.2

Universidad Tecnológica del Uruguay
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

1st Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Uruguayan Chamber of Industries

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:

An eco-innovation cell is a working group composed of students from UTEC and UTU, collaborators from an industrial company, and facilitator teachers, who co-create innovative solutions to a challenge posed by the company, related to environmental sustainability and Circular Economy.

This training offering is aimed at students of the Technological University (UTEC) interested in developing their capabilities as managers of open innovation opportunities, in collaboration with the Uruguayan Chamber of Industries and the Young Entrepreneurs Program of DGETP-UTU.

The objective of the group is to promote an open innovation model in the industrial sector, so companies can advance in the ideation of industrial projects with a focus on Circular Economy, their initial validation, and the identification of support instruments for their implementation.


2nd Partnership

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Rivera Department (subnational government)

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):

Plastic is a material that can be used multiple times. Once it is discarded from its original use, with the help of technology, it is possible to give it a new life and find a different use. This is why the Technological University (UTEC), along with the Municipality of Minas de Corrales and the Rivera Department, are working to provide the community of Minas de Corrales with the equipment, knowledge, and technology to give new life to plastics.

The project, titled Precious Plastic, originally started in the Netherlands and promotes the circular economy through plastic recycling. On Tuesday, April 25, a new stage was completed with the installation of additional equipment for the recycling station, including two more machines: an injector and a plastic extruder. The injector allows the creation of solid pieces (approximately 25g) of recycled plastic using molds, while the extruder creates a filament or thread of recycled plastic that can be used to make various products such as pots and baskets, simulating a wicker-like weave.

Pots made with recycled plasticPots created from recycled plastic In December 2022, the first stage of the project was completed, which involved installing a plastic shredder, an oven, and a tool workshop to create products, in addition to practical training workshops. UTEC's Open Innovation Laboratory (Lab-A) coordinates this project and its implementation, which is carried out with 'La Fábrica,' a maker space that already has a Precious Plastic laboratory in Montevideo.


3rd Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
The Ministry of Environment

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Short-term project or event

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):

UTEC, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Uruguay, has implemented several initiatives focusing on environmental sustainability, such as research on water quality, plastic recycling stations, and lithium battery reuse. Additionally, UTEC has been involved in awareness, training, and calls to promote the climate agenda and adaptation measures across its campus cities. These efforts include educational programs, community engagement, and practical solutions to address sustainability challenges at the regional level​


Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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