Universidad Nacional de Salta

What Universidad Nacional de Salta does

Universidad Nacional de Salta (UNSa) is a public national university located in Salta Province, Argentina, operating under the Argentine Ministry of Education as part of the country's national university system. Founded in 1948 (per the legal entity record) and described in firmographic data as established in 1972, the university delivers higher education and conducts scientific research across multiple disciplines. Its most documented applied research activity centers on biosurfactant production, where scientists at CONICET's Institute for Chemical Industry Research (INIQUI) — operating in collaboration with UNSa — have developed proprietary methodology for using industrial by-products (molasses, vinasse) and effluents as culture media for biosurfactant-producing bacteria, supported by a seven-liter bioreactor setup.

The university's go-to-market is non-commercial: as a public institution, it is funded by the Argentine national government and does not operate pricing models, revenue streams, or commercial distribution channels. Its research outputs are disseminated through academic publications, conferences, and technology transfer agreements. The biosurfactant program targets five vertical applications — pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, food, cosmetics, and cleaning products — and is supported by a 2024 tripartite agreement between UNSa, CONICET, and Ledesma (an Argentine agro-industrial firm) that supplies the industrial waste feedstocks.

Customer-facing commercial infrastructure is minimal or absent: the public website at unsa.edu.ar displays only the default Apache2 Debian welcome page, with no product catalog, app, API, or commercial offering documented. The institution has no disclosed management team, no certifications, no patents or trademarks on file, and no M&A, funding, or leadership-change activity. Strategic activity is confined to the 2024 research partnership, and any future commercialization of biosurfactant IP would likely flow through CONICET and Ledesma channels rather than direct university sales.

Name

Universidad Nacional de Salta

Legal name

Universidad Nacional de Salta

Website

https://unsa.edu.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Universidad Nacional de Salta is an Argentine public national university in Salta Province that conducts higher education and applied research, including a biosurfactant production program using industrial waste materials in collaboration with CONICET and Ledesma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing (325612)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Produce Wash & Food-Contact Surface Dish Cleaning Solutions (CRAJABAI)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Scientific research
• Biosurfactant production
• Public university
• Applied biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Salta

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Core offering

Universidad Nacional de Salta is a public national university that delivers undergraduate and graduate higher-education programs in Salta Province, Argentina, alongside applied scientific research. Its standout research area is the development and optimization of biosurfactant production using industrial by-products (molasses, vinasse) and effluents as culture medium for biosurfactant-producing bacteria, with downstream applications in pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, food, cosmetics, and cleaning products.

Product overview

No product or service information for Universidad Nacional de Salta is available in the provided source data. The sources contain only a research collaboration announcement regarding biosurfactant development with CONICET and Ledesma, and a default Apache2 server page for unsa.edu.ar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate and graduate higher education programs Public university undergraduate and graduate degree programs delivered on-campus in Salta Province, Argentina, serving prospective and current students across the northwestern Argentine region.
• Applied research on sustainable biosurfactant production using industrial by-products Collaborative scientific research service developing cost-efficient, lower-impact biosurfactant production methods by using molasses, vinasse, and industrial effluents as fermentation feedstocks, with applications in pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, food, cosmetics, and cleaning products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced production costs through use of industrial by-products as culture medium

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CONICETcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council) collaborated with Universidad Nacional de Salta through its Institute for Chemical Industry Research (INIQUI). The partnership focuses on developing sustainable biosurfactants using industrial by-products and effluents. The agreement was formalized in 2024.
• LedesmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ledesma, an Argentine company, partnered with CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Salta to develop and optimize biosurfactant production using industrial by-products and effluents. The partnership aims to reduce production costs and environmental impact by utilizing waste materials as culture medium for biosurfactant-producing bacteria.

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Peers

• Method Products (Ecover):

Direct peers

• Holiferm: UK-based biosurfactant (sophorolipid) startup that produces bio-based surfactants at commercial scale, making it the closest direct peer to UNSa's waste-to-biosurfactant research platform.
• AGAE Technologies: US-based specialty chemical company commercializing rhamnolipid biosurfactants for personal care, cleaning, and agriculture, overlapping directly with UNSa's stated pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and cleaning use cases.
• TeeGene Biotech: UK biotech developing microbial biosurfactants using low-cost feedstocks, comparable to UNSa's strategy of using industrial by-products as bacterial culture medium.

Emerging players

• L'Oréal: Global cosmetics leader that has publicly backed biosurfactant startups and could be a potential offtaker for bio-based surfactants in the cosmetics vertical that UNSa is targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Croda International: UK-listed specialty chemicals major selling bio-based surfactants and personal care ingredients, providing a benchmark for the kind of formulators that could ultimately license or partner with UNSa.
• Stepan Company: US specialty surfactant manufacturer serving cleaning, personal care, and agricultural end markets, directly overlapping with UNSa's stated downstream applications.
• BASF: World's largest chemical producer with a broad surfactants portfolio for cleaning, agro, and personal care, representing the competitive ceiling that any UNSa-derived biosurfactant technology must beat on cost or sustainability.
• Evonik Industries: Global specialty chemicals incumbent with a biosurfactants portfolio (e.g., Evonik's sophorolipid offerings) serving cosmetics, cleaning, and industrial customers comparable to UNSa's target verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unsafm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidad-nacional-de-salta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universidad Nacional de Salta