UNIVERSIDAD DE LA FRONTERA

Their core work

Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) is a Chilean public university based in Temuco, in the Araucanía region, with research strengths spanning health sciences and food bioresources. In H2020, they contribute expertise on diseases prevalent in Latin American populations — particularly gallbladder cancer and tuberculosis — as well as biopolymer-based encapsulation for health applications. They serve as a key Latin American bridge partner, connecting European consortia with Andean-region clinical data, patient cohorts, and socio-territorial knowledge that European institutions cannot access independently.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

UFRO's early H2020 involvement (2015–2019) centered on bioresources and infectious disease, with BeFOre on oliviculture and INNOVA4TB on tuberculosis diagnostics. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward cancer prevention, precision medicine, and functional food technologies — reflecting a move from infectious disease toward chronic disease and personalized health. A parallel social sciences thread emerged with CONTESTED_TERRITORY, suggesting the university is broadening its European engagement beyond biomedical research.

UFRO is positioning itself as a Latin American hub for precision medicine research, particularly for cancers and health conditions with high prevalence in Andean populations, making them increasingly valuable for EU-CELAC health collaborations.

How they like to work

UFRO participates almost exclusively as a third-party or partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for non-EU institutions in Horizon 2020 where coordination eligibility is restricted. They work within large consortia (78 unique partners across 24 countries), indicating comfort operating in complex, multi-national projects. Their involvement across five distinct projects with no repeated thematic cluster suggests they are sought after for their regional access and data rather than for a single narrow technical skill.

UFRO has collaborated with 78 distinct partners across 24 countries, giving them a remarkably wide network for a non-EU institution with only five projects. Their partnerships span Europe and Latin America, reflecting their bridging role between the two regions.

What sets them apart

UFRO's main differentiator is geographic: they provide direct access to Latin American clinical cohorts, patient populations, and territorial data that European institutions simply cannot replicate. For gallbladder cancer research, this is particularly significant — Chile has among the highest incidence rates globally, making UFRO's local clinical access uniquely valuable. They combine this regional advantage with demonstrated ability to operate within large European consortia across both health and social science domains.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EULAT Eradicate GBC
  Their only directly funded H2020 project (EUR 91,691), targeting gallbladder cancer eradication through a Europe-Latin America consortium — a disease where Chile's incidence rate is among the world's highest.
• CONTESTED_TERRITORY
  An unexpected departure from their health science focus, studying displacement and extractivism in Latin America — shows institutional breadth beyond biomedical research.
• INNOVA4TB
  Addresses tuberculosis diagnostics innovation including genotypic drug susceptibility, connecting UFRO to a global health priority with strong relevance to Latin American populations.