Centro UC de Desarrollo Local - Cedel UC

What Centro UC de Desarrollo Local - Cedel UC does

Centro UC de Desarrollo Local, Educación e Interculturalidad (CEDEL UC) is a university research center created in 2010 within the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) and hosted at the CIDS Michel Durand Q. complex beside Lake Villarrica in La Araucanía, Chile. It operates as an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary platform organized around four research and development lines — socio-ecological systems and human–nature relations; territorial transformations for sustainability; education and learning for sustainability; and cross-cutting units on transdiscipline, local knowledge, and public policy. The center draws on six UC faculties (Agronomy and Natural Systems; Architecture, Design and Urban Studies; Social Sciences; History; and Medicine) and Campus Villarrica to deliver research, science education, agroecological school programs, continuing education diplomas, and a minor in sustainable development.

Name

Centro UC de Desarrollo Local - Cedel UC

Legal name

Centro UC de Desarrollo Local, Educación e Interculturalidad

Website

https://centrodesarrollolocal.uc.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEDEL UC is the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile's interdisciplinary sustainability research center in Villarrica, La Araucanía, delivering socio-ecological research, science and agroecology education programs, and territorial development projects to schools, municipalities, and communities in southern Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Research and Community Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

Keywords

• Sustainability research
• Community development
• Agroecology education
• Intercultural education
• Territorial development

Headquarters

HQ city

Villarrica

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Core Funding: CEDEL UC is a research center of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC), funded through university allocations and institutional budgets as part of Campus Villarrica UC and multiple UC faculties (Agronomía y Sistemas Naturales, Arquitectura Diseño y Estudios Urbanos, Ciencias Sociales, Historia, Geografía y Ciencia Política, and Medicina).
2. Project and Program Grants: Externally funded research projects and programs including PAR Explora La Araucanía, Valoras UC, FIA Convention programs (Huerta Escuela, Explorando Mi Entorno), FONDECYT projects, and international cooperation projects (e.g., CNPq-Brasil).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEDEL UC is a university research center that conducts interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on sustainable local development in southern Chile and runs an integrated portfolio of science education, teacher training, agroecological, and community engagement programs. Its offerings combine research projects (FONDECYT, CNPq-Brasil), educational programs (Minor in Sustainable Development, three continuing education diplomas, PAR Explora La Araucanía, Huerta Escuela, Valoras UC), and community-facing facilities (MIRAS interactive museum and CIDS Michel Durand Q. complex), serving schools, municipalities, educators, and the general public in La Araucanía and beyond.

Product overview

CEDEL UC is a university research center that operates as a platform of interconnected programs, projects, and educational offerings rather than a single unified product. Its core portfolio includes the MIRAS Araucanía (interactive outdoor museum of agroecology and sustainability), the Valoras UC program (socio-emotional coexistence in schools), the Programa Huerta Escuela (agroecological garden as pedagogical spaces), the Explorando Mi Entorno competition, and the PAR Explora La Araucanía regional science promotion project. These are supplemented by academic programs — a Minor in Sustainable Development and three continuing education diplomas — and the physical CIDS Michel Durand Q. complex which serves as the center's home base, providing facilities for research and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIRAS Araucanía: Museo Interactivo Regional de Agroecología y Sustentabilidad - An interactive outdoor museum located at Lake Villarrica showcasing biodiversity and agroecology.
• Valoras UC
• PAR Explora La Araucanía
• Programa Huerta Escuela (PHE)
• Concurso Explorando Mi Entorno

Products and services

• MIRAS Araucanía (Museo Interactivo Regional de Agroecología y Sustentabilidad)
• Valoras UC
• Programa Huerta Escuela (PHE)
• Concurso Explorando Mi Entorno
• PAR Explora La Araucanía (Proyecto Asociativo Regional)
• Minor en Desarrollo Sustentable
• Diplomado en Disciplina Formativa en el Contexto Escolar
• Diplomado en Desarrollo Socioemocional y Gestión de Aula
• Diplomado en Convivencia Educativa y Desarrollo Socioemocional

Quantifiable outcome

• ~3,000 people connected with nature at the Living Laboratory within one month of inauguration (Oct 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• Centros de Estudios Interculturales e Indígenas (CIIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIIR is a research center of excellence established in 2012 focused on intercultural relations with an interdisciplinary, comparative, and collaborative approach. CIIR is co-located with CEDEL UC at the CIDS building.
• Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable UC (CEDEUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDEUS is a center of excellence executed by UC and Universidad de Concepción, studying urban dynamics, instruments, and decision-making processes for sustainable and equitable quality of life improvements.
• Fundación Ibáñez AtkinsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA non-profit foundation generating opportunities for people to access culture and protect their environment. Through a collaboration agreement with CEDEL UC, it funds programs including Programa Huerta Escuela (PHE) and the competition Explorando Mi Entorno. Room 12 at CIDS is sponsored by this foundation.
• Fundación Internacional Siemens StiftungimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromotes sustainable social development through access to education and culture. CEDEL UC coordinates the STEM+ Latin American cooperation network in education from this foundation.
• Centro Internacional Cabo de Hornos (CHIC)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn international research center in Puerto Williams, Magallanes region, studying climate change and biocultural biodiversity conservation in the sub-Antarctic zone. CHIC is a partner in joint research projects with CEDEL UC.
• Centro de Ecología Aplicada y Sustentabilidad (CAPES)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPES conducts applied research on environmental issues of growing importance for Chile's sustainable development, collaborating with CEDEL UC on shared sustainability research.
• Centro de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada del Riesgo de Desastres (CIGIDEN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIGIDEN aims to understand, anticipate, and mitigate risks associated with socio-natural disasters affecting Chile, working with CEDEL UC on disaster risk and sustainability topics.
• Fundación Mar Adentro (FMA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA private non-profit foundation created in 2011 that develops initiatives combining art and science to address territorial challenges. FMA has been a close collaborator with CEDEL UC through various initiatives in recent years.
• Universidad de California (UC System)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2019, CEDEL UC receives UC students in the 'Social-Ecological Systems of Southern Chile' 3-month course. From 2025, the course runs twice yearly (autumn and spring) through the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP).
• Red de Estaciones y Centros Regionales de la UC (RCER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 8 stations and 1 center from northern to southern Chile, generating scientific capital across territories. CEDEL UC is a member of this university-wide network.
• Red de Centros de Estudios Regionales y Territoriales de Universidades Chilenas (RedCERT)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork grouping 18 centers from 14 universities in 11 regions of Chile, focused on regional and territorial studies. CEDEL UC is a member of this inter-university network.
• Universidad Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE, Brazil)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFRPE's DEMULTS group (Desarrollo Educacional de Multimedias Sustentables) cooperates with CEDEL UC in an international project on biocultural conservation through participatory methodologies in La Araucanía, funded by CNPq-Brasil.
• Instituto para el Desarrollo Sustentable UCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly with CEDEL UC, this institute co-delivers the Minor in Sustainable Development for College UC students, combining interdisciplinary sustainability education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centros de Estudios Interculturales e Indígenas UC (CIIR): A UC research center of excellence established in 2012 focused on intercultural relations with an interdisciplinary, comparative, and collaborative approach. CIIR is co-located with CEDEL UC at the CIDS building and shares a comparable model of community-embedded interdisciplinary research in southern Chile.
• Centro de Ecología Aplicada y Sustentabilidad UC (CAPES): UC's applied research center on environmental issues for Chile's sustainable development. Closely comparable to CEDEL UC in mission and university affiliation, with overlapping work in sustainability research and a formal collaboration partnership already in place.
• Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP): A Patagonia-based research center focused on ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable development in southern Chile. Directly comparable to CEDEL UC in geographic scope, sustainability research focus, and interdisciplinary approach to territorial challenges.
• Centro de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada del Riesgo de Desastres (CIGIDEN): A Chilean research center aiming to understand, anticipate, and mitigate risks associated with socio-natural disasters. A formal CEDEL UC collaborator with a comparable ANP-style research-center structure, policy focus, and territorial approach to socio-environmental challenges.
• Centro Internacional Cabo de Hornos (CHIC): An international research center based in Puerto Williams, Magallanes, studying climate change and biocultural biodiversity conservation in the sub-Antarctic zone. Highly comparable to CEDEL UC in its socio-ecological and biocultural research lines, geographic embedding, and joint project partnership.
• Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable UC (CEDEUS): A UC-conceived center of excellence jointly run with Universidad de Concepción that studies urban dynamics, instruments, and decision-making for sustainable quality of life. Directly comparable to CEDEL UC as a sibling sustainability research center inside the same university system with overlapping territorial and policy mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Stockholm Resilience Centre: A globally leading research center on socio-ecological systems, resilience, and sustainability science. Comparable to CEDEL UC in its socio-ecological research line and transdisciplinary approach, but operates at a much larger scale with a global mandate.
• Wageningen University & Research: A leading European university and research institute specialized in agroecology, sustainability, and rural development. Highly comparable to CEDEL UC's agroecological and socio-ecological research focus, with overlapping programmatic interests in territorial sustainability and food systems.

Others

• Fundación Mar Adentro (FMA): A Chilean private non-profit foundation created in 2011 that develops initiatives combining art and science to address territorial challenges. Directly comparable to CEDEL UC's blend of science, education, and territorial engagement, and is a close collaborator on multiple initiatives.
• Red Explora (Programa Explora del Ministerio de Ciencia): The national Chilean science education network under which PAR Explora La Araucanía operates. CEDEL UC's PAR Explora program is a regional node within this larger network, making Explora a key ecosystem participant and funder of CEDEL UC's outreach activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cedel_UC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cedel_uc
• Facebookfacebook.com/cedel.uc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cedel_uc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-uc-de-desarrollo-local---cedel-uc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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