• Young people from entrepreneurship centers of public and private universities in the country presented 6 projects to the institution's management team. The activity, which connected the world of entrepreneurship and the university, generated an instance of meeting, exchange and knowledge transfer.
   

True to its commitment to university entrepreneurship and innovative spirit, Banco Santander, through Santander Universities, held the third edition of Elevator Day, a meeting that brought together young people from the entrepreneurship centers of public and private universities in the country.

During the day, six teams from the incubators of the University of the Republic (Udelar), the Technological University (UTEC), the University of Montevideo (UM), the ORT University and the Catholic University (UCU), presented their projects to authorities from the bank, led by Gustavo Trelles, Country Head of Santander Uruguay; Pablo Gaudio, Commercial Director; Patricia Dopazo, director of T&O; Federico Lamaison, Communication and Marketing Manager, and María de la Paz Goldaracena, Manager of Santander Universities and Universia.

“In Santander we are convinced that in order to support people and companies it is necessary to dedicate time, resources and support to educational institutions. Entrepreneurs are protagonists in building a prosperous and sustainable future. As references in the financial field, our role is to accompany them from the beginning and provide them with the tools that are within our reach. We are proud to organize for the third consecutive year a new edition of Elevator Day. We thank all the participants who, with dedication and enthusiasm, were able to defend their ideas and teamwork” said Trelles.

Meanwhile, Goldaracena referred to the importance of the link that the bank has generated with Uruguayan universities in recent years: “Entrepreneurship is one of the pillars of Santander Universities. It has been more than a decade since we started supporting university entrepreneurship centers, with which we have forged a solid bond. Through this initiative we open the doors of our institution to create a space for dialogue and exchange. There is no doubt that these entrepreneurs are a source of inspiration and reflection of young talent, so it is very important for Santander to meet them”.

The projects                                                                      

From the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurships of the University ORT (CIE), Mauricio Pintado and Rodrigo Pereira, creators of Zafrales, exhibited the details of the proposal, a technology-based company specializing in the hiring of temporary personnel for the agribusiness sector.

As a novelty, the 2019 edition distinguished this project with a recognition equivalent to US $ 5,000 by standing out for its innovative capacity, employment generation and scalability.

On behalf of the UTEC, entrepreneur Noelia Botana presented the OBIM project, the first Uruguayan platform of BIM objects, intelligent digital replicas of real objects, which contain three-dimensional models of product geometry and all the information necessary to respond to the demand for requirements of the agents that intervene throughout the life cycle of a building or infrastructure.

On behalf of the Ricaldoni de la Udelar Foundation, Federico Bello, Emiliano Hidalgo and Agustín Buniel presented the Resport project. The initiative is framed in the area of ​​sports preparation, offering new technological tools that help physical trainers manage training and improve the performance of athletes through an application.

Through the Emprenur entrepreneurship center of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Udelar, Florencia Dumas and Paola Petrullo presented CRECE, a sustainable outdoor furniture design company that merges landscape design, architecture and prefabricated assembly and incorporates digital layout and the industrial development of the products, allowing to transform large garden areas in an effective way.

Meanwhile, Dalmiro Costa, Ruben Marquardt and Matías Poggio, from the Entrepreneurship Center of the University of Montevideo (Initium), presented Cambiame, a digital platform for monetary exchange between people based on security pillars, a single quote and savings in front of the exchange houses.

From Ithaka, from the Catholic University of Uruguay, Felipe Herrero and Luciano Corujo spoke about the Ecolicuá project, the country's first online insurance comparison and contracting platform.

About Santander Uruguay

Santander Uruguay began operating in 1982. Characterized by developing a universal banking model through all channels, the institution has established itself as the main private bank in the country. Currently, it has a market share of around 30% in private banking. It serves more than 350,000 active customers and has a leading role in the card market, offering additional benefits in more than two hundred brands. The institution has more than 40 customer service centers throughout the country.

Santander Bank and its commitment to Education

Banco Santander is the only European bank included in the ‘Change the World’ 2018 ranking of companies that are contributing to improve the world (Fortune magazine) for its positive impact on society, among other criteria.

Its firm commitment to Higher Education, which materializes through Santander Universities, also distinguished it as a company that invests most in Education in the world (Varkey Report / UNESCO / Fortune 500) and has become one of its hallmarks, with 1,200 collaboration agreements with universities and institutions in more than 20 countries, more than 1,700 million euros allocated to academic initiatives since 2002 and more than 73,000 scholarships and university grants granted in 2018 in order to contribute to the progress of people, Companies and society.