Prof. Dr. Frank Dinter takes over as new General Manager of Fraunhofer Chile

- The leading German expert - who until now served as Director of the Center for Solar Energy Technologies CSET - assumes this Monday, October 18, as General Manager. The Board of Directors of the Fraunhofer Chile Research Institution thanked and valued Dr. Pilar Parada after her departure for her great achievements, contribution and trajectory in the institution.

As part of a new chapter, Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation announced this Friday the name of its new General Manager, the outstanding German scientist Frank Dinter – PhD in Engineering in Thermal Energy Storage Systems with a vast experience in the renewable energy industry. He will assume the challenge of refocusing the work of this prestigious Foundation on issues related to solar energy and sustainable technologies to assist the country in the transition to a renewable and sustainable energy supply.

Dr. Dinter takes over after the departure of Dr. Pilar Parada. This Friday the Board of Directors of the Fraunhofer Chile Research Institution thanked and valued her for her great contributions and trajectory in the Foundation. She served in the position of General Manager in recent years, as well as in the Executive Management of the Center for Sustainable Biotechnology Systems. Among her main achievements, this Center managed to promote a spin-off, 36 patent applications, more than 180 research projects with public and private funding, and more than 40 partnerships with universities and research centers, both in Chile and abroad.

A solar future

In this new stage, Fraunhofer Chile will focus on applied R&D in this field by contributing its recognized scientific experience in the field of solar technologies. Its Center for Solar Energy Technologies CSET, an applied research center has been successfully contributing to the development of the solar industry and the diversification and sustainability of the energy grid for 6 years now.

Frank Dinter pointed out that Fraunhofer Chile has great strengths in human and technological capital, as well as the prestige acquired in its collaborative work with the Chilean energy and industrial ecosystem. “Our purpose is to focus with greater momentum and experience on the incorporation of solar energy into the Chilean industry. As well as the transition to a renewable and sustainable energy matrix, with the support of the entire network of Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany and in the world, which gives us a global vision for the development of solar R&D", Dinter emphasized.

Fraunhofer support

Dr. Johann Feckl, Director of External Affairs and Internal Research Programs of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and Chairman of the Board of Fraunhofer Chile, said that in this spirit of international cooperation between Germany and Chile "Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will continue to support Fraunhofer Chile to create alliances and promote new developments, supporting and enhancing the capabilities of the national innovation ecosystem".

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will maintain the German-Chilean cooperation through CSET with proven commitment and world-renowned expertise in solar energy. This organization currently operates 75 institutes and applied research centers throughout Germany and cooperates with eight international affiliates worldwide, including Fraunhofer Chile.

It is important to mention that the Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation was created in 2010 in response to the call of the Chilean Ministry of Economy, via CORFO, to attract international Centers of Excellence. Their purpose is to incorporate science-based innovation in order to generate a productive transformation of the Chilean economy.