In November, ICGEB Trieste hosted a visit by diplomats from Latin American embassies.
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the most biodiverse region in the world. It is also a leading producer of renewable energy. Investment in STI (science, technology and innovation) remains low, exacerbating broader regional and global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Aligning national priorities with global objectives can ensure more effective responses to global challenges, promote regional stability and economic growth. Science diplomacy, and Organisations such as ICGEB and IILA can provide a platform for countries across the region to contribute to collective progress.
Trieste, Monday, 17 November 2025: ICGEB hosts a visit organised in collaboration with the Italo-Latin American Intergovernmental Organisation (IILA), Rome, with the participation of representatives from the embassies of Latin American countries and the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS). The visit continued on Tuesday, 18 November at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), with representatives from other international scientific institutes in Trieste, TWAS, IAP and OWSD.
The initiative aims to focus on internationality and scientific diplomacy beyond existing collaborations and partnerships with ICGEB, IILA and the numerous Member States in Latin America. With the participation of diplomats from fourteen countries in the region, the Centre intends to broaden awareness of the actions and programmes of Trieste’s scientific institutes on the continent. ICGEB enjoys a strong network of fourteen member countries in Latin America – of these present in the delegation were representatives from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and, the Dominican Republic.
Diplomatic representatives from countries that are not yet members, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua, were also part of the delegation.
ICGEB Director-General Dr Lawrence Banks reflects: “The purpose of the visit was to highlight the opportunities that membership of ICGEB can provide in scientific cooperation and collaboration, highlighting scientific diplomacy as a vital tool in promoting international development. The major focus of ICGEB is biotechnology, and I believe this is one of the major growth areas for sustainable development in health, agriculture, and in meeting the challenges of Climate change.”
Dr Antonella Cavallari, Secretary General of IILA, comments: “The opportunity to familiarise representatives of the embassies of so many countries with the important research undertaken in Trieste is a wonderful opportunity.”
‘With these initiatives,’ adds Ms Marianna Maculan, Head of External Relations at ICGEB, ‘we aim to build ever stronger bridges between research in Trieste and Latin American countries through scientific diplomacy.’
