Research Centers
UST is keenly aware of the great importance of research, allowing it to contribute to the advancement of society through the generation of knowledge, which is one of the university’s raisons d’être. Santo Tomás presently has the following entities:
AUSTRAL BIOTECH
Company focused on developing biotechnology products for Chilean producers, with particular emphasis on aquiculture and agriculture. Among other services, it develops biosensors for pharmaceuticals used in the salmon industry, microalgae applications, agricultural pathogen detection systems, etc. Austral Biotech runs state-of-the art biotech labs, with a multidisciplinary team of highly-skilled scientists who provide R&D services to other companies.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (CIICC)
Center for basic and applied research focused on gaining better understanding of the effects of Climate Change on coastal ecosystems, with emphasis on opportunities for scientific and technological innovation offered by our natural capital to adapt to and mitigate the effects of Climate Change.
CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN AQUICULTURE AND FISHERIES (CAPIA)
Center dedicated to support development in the aquiculture and fisheries sector in southern Chile, through scientific and technological research, service deliveries, human capital training and specialization and generation of new businesses.
BAHÍA LOMAS CENTER
The Bahía Lomas Center, recently inaugurated on the eastern shore of the Strait of Magellan, is an initiative promoted in a concerted effort by the Municipality of Primavera, the School of Science of Universidad Santo Tomás and Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (U.S.). Its goal is to serve as a base for specialized research on migratory beach birds, cetaceans, ecosystems and the Selk’nam culture, among others.
RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTER FOR THE FAMILY, WORK AND ENFRANCHISEMENT (CIELO)
Our university hopes this Center will create an academic forum for the generation of scientific knowledge on the currently interrelationship among family, work and enfranchisement. The CIELO center will conduct research, generate social input, train professionals and generate policy proposals in the areas where family and work interact, and where in consequence social issues emerge to prevent or disrupt the unfettered exercise of civic enfranchisement. Moreover, CIELO plans to generate knowledge and technological resources that will serve to underpin the design of public policies, plans, programs and projects to foster an equitable family life.
CENTER FOR OVINE DEVELOPMENT IN DRYLANDS (OVISNOVA)
This Center will assist our institution in playing a salient role in contributing to the development of sheep farming in dryland areas, generating applied research guidelines addressing topics such as animal health, safety, genetic and productive improvement of sheep flocks. This Center will be active in the training of specialized human resources and will develop and implement technology transfer activities in strategically-important areas aimed at improving productivity, sustainability and competitiveness in this livestock activity.
TEKIT, CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN ICTS AND EDUCATION
Research center created for the development and efficient transfer of technological education tools, through projects, evaluation and consultancies in TIC resources and generation of upgrading programs.