Hernán Sarmiento is the new director of the IMFD Innovation Department.
Making scientifically backed People generated by the Millennium Institute Foundational Research on Data available to the People : this is the goal of the IMFD's Innovation and Technology Transfer Department, now under the new leadership of Hernán Sarmiento, PhD in Computer Science from the University of Chile.
“One of my main challenges is to understand the needs, problems, and concerns of public and private institutions. Currently, many processes could be enhanced through the design and implementation of tools that support decision-making. To achieve this, it is very important to establish relationships with the main actors involved in these processes and thus adapt technologies in order to turn them into an asset for society," emphasizes the new director of Innovation at IMFD.
Hernán Sarmiento is a Civil Engineer in Computer Science from the Federico Santa María Technical University, with a Master's and Doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Chile. In his work as a researcher, he emphasizes the cross-disciplinary approach that is needed to solve real problems in society. "Today, it is necessary to collaborate with other disciplines in order to design comprehensive and innovative solutions that involve as many actors as possible. I learned this thanks to the topics I researched, where I was able to collaborate with people from various disciplines, from geophysical sciences to communications." His work includes publications on digital data management in crisis situations and the development of robust information structures applied to online media issues. He is currently a professor at the Federico Santa María Technical University and the University of Chile in the areas of engineering and data science.
One of the main strengths recognized by the new director is the Innovation department's ability to adapt to emerging technologies, which are used in locally developed products and solutions. "We enhance this characteristic through our constant link with the academic area of the IMFD, which allows us to be at the forefront of knowledge in data management, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing," he adds. "I would also highlight the learning and integration capabilities of the People make up the DITT team. Today, we have an interdisciplinary team with experience in both the academic world and the productive sector, which allows us to address complex challenges from a comprehensive perspective. This combination of technical skills, applied knowledge, and a collaborative approach positions us as a strategic player in the national technological development ecosystem."
"We are proud to have Hernán leading the DITT, as he is well aware of the potential we have at the IMFD. The team we have formed in the Innovation area seeks, above all, to shape our goal as an institute: to extract value from data and turn it into an asset for society. To this end, we have a highly qualified team, which is strengthened by the work of our researchers," says Camila Díaz, executive director of the IMFD.
Hernán Sarmiento began his relationship with IMFD as a student at the institute: "It is a great joy to belong to IMFD. I have been associated with this institution for many years, whether as a student, researcher, or engineer. This has made me understand the human qualities and capabilities of each of the People belong to the institution," he says.
The IMFD Innovation area aims to apply the most effective techniques, based on cutting-edge science and technology, to extract value from data, promoting the development of Chile and the region, and providing data solutions for industry, the public sector, and society.