He Omics Research Institute (iÓmicas) from the Pontifical Javeriana University Cali was awarded the Andesco Award for Sustainability in the Environmental Environment category. The recognition was received by the rector of the University, Vicente Durán SJ and the director of the Omicas Institute, Andrés Jaramillo, this Friday, June 28 in Cartagena, in a ceremony that highlighted the achievements in sustainability of various organizations.
“This recognition is an incentive to continue doing science and engineering that solves universal problems, in context and for the common good. Thank you,” said Andrés upon receiving the award.
This year, a total of 121 projects competed for the Andesco Awards, of which 33 reached the final and only 17 won the award. These awards recognize sustainability comprehensively within organizations, evaluating their positive impact in five key areas: collaborators, market, social, governance and environmental.
iÓmicas stood out in the Environmental Environment category for being a multidisciplinary and top-level research institute, aimed at providing measurable and transferable basic solutions to the challenges of food security, sustainable agricultural production and zero hunger. The Xaverian institute has made significant progress in improving agricultural varieties, optimizing the use of resources such as water and nitrogen, and developing crops more resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. Additionally, their work includes the selection of varieties with a minimal environmental footprint through the characterization of greenhouse gas emissions (CH4 and N2O).
“At iÓmicas we adopt a strategy commensurate with the potential offered by characterizing and emulating the natural processes of self-assembly and self-regulation of matter with the purpose of solving universal challenges, without compromising our planet. We project ourselves into a new era of integration between the organic and the inorganic, an era that we call the Symbiocene,” said the iÓmicas director.
In his acceptance speech for the Andesco Sustainability Award, Andrés Jaramillo highlighted the financial support of international agencies, such as the Bezos Earth Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, and various national entities; and his transdisciplinary team that has been demonstrating significant contributions in different areas: sustainable agricultural productivity, food security, bio-generation, human health and ecosystem health, including soil, water and atmosphere.
For his part, the rector of the Universidad Javeriana Cali, Vicente Durán SJ, said that the iÓmicas team fills the university with great pride “because this team has become a spearhead in research and protection of our common home, precisely in this year in which COP16 is taking place in the city of Cali.”
iÓmicas competed against leading companies such as CENIT, Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos, Opain SA, and Ecopetrol. The evaluation criteria to determine the winner included comprehensiveness in sustainability, covering economic, social and environmental achievements. The generation of strategic alliances, the certifications obtained, innovation and the impact of the projects were also valued.
In its 19th edition, the Andesco Sustainability Awards continue to be a valuable platform to highlight and share sustainable initiatives carried out by companies and organizations in the public, private and community sectors. These awards not only recognize individual efforts, but also promote the sustainable development of the country from a comprehensive perspective.
The achievement of iÓmicas reaffirms the commitment of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali to research and innovation in the service of sustainability and global well-being, demonstrating that science and technology can be powerful allies in the fight for a greener and fairer future.
This award is endorsed by the Colombia Global Compact Network, a United Nations initiative.
