Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería

What Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería does

CRHIAM (Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería) is a Chilean non-profit research center founded in 2013 under ANID's FONDAP program and led by Universidad de Concepción in partnership with Universidad de La Frontera and Universidad del Desarrollo. The center conducts multidisciplinary scientific and technological research on water resources across five thematic lines: efficient water use in agriculture and mining, new water sources (including seawater use in mineral processing), climate change impacts on water availability and quality, water treatment and environmental remediation technologies, and water governance. It serves Chile's agriculture, mining, and rural community sectors, with outputs flowing to government policy bodies such as the DGA and CNR as well as to industry and academic stakeholders through publications, forums, and training programs.

The center's product portfolio encompasses five interconnected offerings: (1) applied scientific research across the five research lines, (2) human capital formation through doctoral, master's, and undergraduate thesis supervision (498 theses completed), (3) scientific dissemination including 926 WoS-indexed publications, books, policy briefs, and the peer-reviewed Revista Hidrociencia, (4) public engagement events including the annual Foros del Agua and Water Congress 2026, and (5) specialized diploma programs in water resource management. The technology stack is rooted in conventional scientific methodologies, hydrological modeling, water chemistry, and physical-chemical-biological treatment processes, with no documented AI/ML or proprietary software product components.

CRHIAM does not sell commercial products or services. Its revenue model is entirely grant-funded, anchored by ANID FONDAP financing including the current two-year bridge project ANID/FONDAP/1523A0001 running through March 2026. The center employs 11-50 staff and operates from its headquarters at Victoria 1295 in Concepción's University District. Its distribution channels rely on academic publication, government advisory relationships, an international network of 14 partner institutions (including Lund University, UC Davis, University of Queensland, and University of Melbourne), and direct outreach through social media, newsletters, and events. The customer base is institutional rather than transactional, with Chilean agricultural producers, mining operators, rural communities, and government agencies as the primary beneficiary segments.

Name

Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería

Legal name

Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería

Website

https://crhiam.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CRHIAM is a Chilean non-profit research center founded in 2013 that conducts multidisciplinary scientific research on water resources for the agriculture and mining sectors, funded primarily through ANID FONDAP grants and led by Universidad de Concepción in partnership with two other Chilean universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water resources research services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)

Keywords

• Water resources research
• Agricultural water management
• Mining water efficiency
• Water treatment research
• Water governance studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Concepcion

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: CRHIAM is funded through ANID (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo) FONDAP (Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias) program. The center was established in 2013 through the fifth FONDAP competition and received two-year bridge project funding (ANID/FONDAP/1523A0001) through March 2026. Additional funding comes from various research projects and grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CRHIAM is a multidisciplinary research center that develops scientific and technological knowledge on water resources for Chile's agriculture and mining sectors. Its portfolio is organized around five research lines — efficient water use, new water sources, climate change impacts on water availability/quality, water treatment technology and environmental remediation, and water governance — and is complemented by human capital training (thesis supervision at undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, plus diploma programs), scientific publications, and public engagement forums. All outputs are aligned with Chile's Sustainable Development Goals and target water security for agricultural, mining, community, and policy stakeholders.

Product overview

CRHIAM is a research center (not a software product company) that operates as a multidisciplinary research hub focused on water resources for agriculture and mining. The center offers a unified portfolio consisting of: (1) Scientific research services across five research lines covering water efficiency, new water sources, climate change impacts, water treatment technology, and water governance; (2) Human capital formation through doctoral, master's, and undergraduate thesis programs; (3) Scientific publications including WoS papers, books, policy briefs, and the Hidrociencia journal; (4) Public events including the annual Foros del Agua and Water Congress conferences; and (5) Specialized diploma training programs. All offerings are interconnected through the center's five research lines and contribute to Chile's water security objectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investigación en Recursos Hídricos (Water Resources Research) Scientific and technological research services focused on water resource management for Chile's agriculture and mining sectors, addressing water scarcity, water quality, water-use efficiency, and sustainability across five research lines. Targeted at agricultural producers, mining operators, government agencies, and rural communities.
• Formación de Capital Humano (Human Capital Training) Graduate and postgraduate education and research training programs including doctoral theses, master's theses, and undergraduate thesis supervision organized across the five research lines of CRHIAM. Targets students, researchers, and early-career scientists in water resources.
• Diploma Programs Specialized diploma programs in water resource management for professionals working in the agriculture and mining sectors. Aimed at working professionals and practitioners seeking applied expertise in water management.
• Publicaciones Científicas (Scientific Publications) Scientific publication outputs including WoS-indexed journal articles, books, policy briefs, infographics, and the peer-reviewed journal Revista Hidrociencia. Targets the academic community, policymakers, and practitioners seeking evidence on Chilean water resources.
• Foros del Agua (Water Forums) Annual public events and congresses addressing the water crisis, water governance, and sustainability issues in Chile, including the Water Congress 2026. Targets the general public, academic community, government, and water sector stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 926 WoS publications produced since 2013
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Lund UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources. CRHIAM maintains scientific networks with leading global institutions for knowledge exchange and joint research development.
• IDAEA (Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources. IDAEA is part of CSIC (Spanish National Research Council).
• Ghent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources and environmental science.
• UC DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Jan Hopmans from UC Davis serving on CRHIAM's Scientific Committee.
• University of ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources.
• University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Reyes Sierra from University of Arizona serving on CRHIAM's Scientific Committee.
• Leibniz University Hannover (TRUST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources.
• University of YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources.
• University of WaterloocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources.
• Water Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration in water resources.
• University of QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Neil McIntyre from University of Queensland serving on CRHIAM's Scientific Committee.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Peter Scales from University of Melbourne serving on CRHIAM's Scientific Committee.
• Universidad de ConcepciónflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading institution of CRHIAM. Universidad de Concepción serves as the primary institution hosting and leading the center.
• Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in CRHIAM consortium. Contributes researchers including María Cristina Diez and Olga Rubilar to the center's research activities.
• Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in CRHIAM consortium. Contributes researchers including Diego Rivera to the center's research activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology): Swiss water research institute conducting fundamental and applied research on aquatic systems, water treatment, and water resources. Comparable as a non-profit applied research center with a much broader mandate and larger scale than CRHIAM.
• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute specializing in water, subsurface, and infrastructure, with work in water management for agriculture and deltas. Similar applied-research structure but with significantly broader scope and capacity than CRHIAM.
• CSIRO Land and Water: Australia's national science agency division covering land, water, and environmental management, including water efficiency in agriculture and mining. Similar multi-disciplinary applied research model but at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• KWR Water Research Institute: Dutch water research institute combining applied science with industry collaboration in water treatment, circular water systems, and water quality. Comparable non-profit research-center model serving public and private stakeholders.
• Water Research Australia: Australian collaborative water research center addressing drinking water, recycled water, and water for industry. Comparable applied research model serving mining and agricultural sectors in a similarly water-stressed country.
• Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI): Independent policy institute focused on water governance, climate, and sustainable development. Directly comparable to CRHIAM's water governance research line and its evidence-to-policy dissemination role.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI): CGIAR research institute focused on sustainable water management for agriculture and food security in developing countries. Directly comparable to CRHIAM's agriculture-water research focus, though operating across multiple countries with a global mandate.
• IIHR — Hydroscience & Engineering (University of Iowa): University-affiliated hydroscience and engineering research center studying fluid mechanics, hydrology, and water resources. Comparable university-embedded research-center model with multidisciplinary water expertise.

Regional players

• INIA (Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias): Chile's national agricultural research institute, focused on crop science, irrigation, and sustainable agriculture. Overlaps with CRHIAM's agriculture-water research line within the same country and complementary public funding sources.

Others

• CIGIDEN (Centro de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada del Riesgo de Desastres): Chilean ANID FONDAP research center focused on disaster risk management. Comparable as a fellow Chilean FONDAP-funded research center with similar funding structure, governance model, and academic consortium organization to CRHIAM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crhiam
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcxFk4uFkxFdvUxdVUKgdBg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CRHIAM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crhiam
• Instagraminstagram.com/crhiam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro de Recursos Hídricos para la Agricultura y la Minería