Women inventors honoured in the Ingenias LATAM 2025 Award: women transforming innovation in Latin America
The winners of the first edition of the Ingenias LATAM Award, an initiative of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in the framework of the AL-INVEST Verde DPI project, funded by the European Union, were announced on 4 September 2025. The emotional ceremony took place at the headquarters of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) in Santiago de Chile, co-organiser and host of this first edition of the award.
The award recognises four women inventors from the countries participating in this edition of the prize - Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - selected by an expert jury for their contributions to innovation and the social or sustainable impact of the invention. All the winners have an invention protected by national intellectual property rights, a prerequisite for participation, and represent excellence in their respective sectors.
The winners of Ingenias LATAM 2025 reflect the diversity of female talent in the region, representing sectors as varied as agricultural biotechnology, public health, industrial design and creative industries:
The award recognises four women inventors from the countries participating in this edition of the award - Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - selected by an expert jury for their contributions to innovation and the social or sustainable impact of the invention. All the winners have an invention protected by national intellectual property rights, a prerequisite for participation, and represent excellence in their respective sectors.
The winners of Ingenias LATAM 2025 reflect the diversity of female talent in the region, representing sectors as varied as agricultural biotechnology, public health, industrial design and creative industries:
- Dr Alessandra Alves De Souza (Brazil), geneticist and inventor of the agricultural use of the molecule N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and its analogues for the treatment and prevention of bacterial diseases and disorders in citrus fruits.
- Silvana Herrera Leiva (Chile), product designer and inventor of a sensory band for the detection of obstacles in the visual field of visually impaired people.
- Dr. Gladys Antonieta Rojas de Arias (Paraguay), biologist and inventor of compounds derived from 2,5-dihydroxybenzyl for the treatment of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.
- María Inés Costa Saravia (Uruguay), graphic design technician and inventor of a manual crochet knitting tool that mechanically retracts after each stitch and keeps the yarn tension constant.
The event was attended by the acting ambassador of the European Union delegation in Chile, and the highest authorities of the national intellectual property offices: INAPI (Chile), the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil, the National Directorate of Intellectual Property (DINAPI) of Paraguay, and the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI) of Uruguay -partners of the Ingenias LATAM 2025 Award-, as well as representatives of the EUIPO and the members of the jury from the private sector who participated in the evaluation process of the countries involved.
One of the highlights of the day was the screening for the first time of the mini-documentaries produced for each of the winning inventors, which tell their stories, creative processes and the impact of their inventions. These videos aim to inspire new generations of women in the field of innovation and intellectual property.
The initiative, aligned with EUIPO's Strategic Plan SP2030, reinforces the institutional commitment to promote a more inclusive, fair and representative IP system. In a context where women are still underrepresented in IP systems - representing only 18% of international patent applications in 2024 (WIPO) and 24% of designs registered with the EUIPO in 2022 - the Ingenias LATAM Award marks a milestone in the visibility of female talent and in building strategic partnerships for collaboration between Latin America and the European Union.