The awards ceremony was organized by the School of Communication and the School of Design to recognize individuals and projects that have excelled in the creative industries related to technology, education, and entrepreneurship.
Held since 2019, the event has established itself as a leading platform for highlighting outstanding initiatives within Uruguayan society.
An opening marked by innovation and creative vision
The organization of the 7th edition of the Awards for Creativity and Innovation was led by Dr. Francisco Arri, academic secretary of the School of Communication, who highlighted the sustained growth of this initiative, in step with the evolution of the schools and the country’s creative, technological, and cultural community.
It was also an opportunity to highlight a key milestone for Universidad ORT Uruguay: the upcoming opening, in 2026, of the Creative Hub, a project that will expand the institution’s academic and creative horizons.
Conceived as an ecosystem spanning more than 3,000 square meters dedicated to audiovisual production, design, sound, and digital creation, the new space will serve as a meeting point for disciplines, ideas, and talent, and as a platform to empower new generations of professionals.
Later, the dean of the School of Communication, Dr. Esteban Zunino, noted that the individuals and projects recognized had successfully combined creativity, innovation, and scientific and technological development with a strong social commitment and a clear impact on the country’s development.
He also emphasized the central role of communication as a bridge between knowledge and society, capable of transforming ideas into initiatives with cultural, emotional, and social impact.
He noted that creativity and innovation stem from collective effort and from environments that combine curiosity, method, training, and rigor.
Finally, he highlighted the contribution of Universidad ORT Uruguay academic excellence, student education, and the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The dean of the School of Design, Industrial Designer Oscar Aguirre, was invited to the podium, where he highlighted the Awards as an opportunity to celebrate creativity and innovation as central pillars of contemporary design and communication, with a broader perspective on culture and science.
He also emphasized that the ceremony invites us to reflect on the role of individuals, initiatives, and organizations that, through diverse approaches and practices, transform their surroundings and build an active and relevant culture.
In this context, he emphasized a conception of design as an open discipline in constant dialogue with its context, characterized by collective work, risk-taking, and imagination.
Finally, Sabrina Bianchi, academic secretary of the School of Graduate and Continuing Education in Communication and Design, spoke about the competitive scholarship “Narratives for a Creative and Sustainable Future,” an initiative developed jointly by Universidad ORT Uruguay UNESCO.
This opportunity offers a 50% scholarship to pursue the Master’s Degree in Creativity, Innovation, and Communication or the Specialization Diploma in Creativity and Innovation from the School of Graduate and Continuing Education in Communication and Design.
Awards 2025
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María Pía Garat
For his contribution to the development of biomedical technologies, for paving the way for Uruguayan science in a field where few dare to venture, and for his conviction that innovation can—and must—improve lives.
A biotechnologist and scientific entrepreneur, María Pía Garat combines research, innovation, and strategic vision with a clear goal: to develop biomedical technologies capable of transforming healthcare and improving quality of life.
With a background in biotechnology, she focused her work from the very beginning of her career on the intersection of scientific knowledge and practical application, with the goal of translating laboratory discoveries into clinical practice.
She is a co-founder of Eolo Pharma, a Uruguayan biotech startup born out of a collaboration among researchers from various institutions, focused on developing proprietary molecules for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Together with his team, he spent years developing a new class of compounds designed to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders, including a drug with an innovative mechanism of action that activates the body’s natural processes to improve energy expenditure and health indicators.
Her work reached a historic milestone with the launch of the first human clinical trial of a drug developed in Uruguay, the results of which demonstrated safety and efficacy, paving an unprecedented path for science and the pharmaceutical industry in the country and the region.
Her leadership has been recognized internationally for demonstrating that it is possible to generate scientific innovation with a global impact from Uruguay and for promoting greater participation of women in science and technology.
Due to health issues, the scientist was unable to attend the ceremony and expressed her gratitude for the tribute via a video.
The award was accepted by Dr. Mariana Ingold, one of the company’s lead scientists, who is in charge of the chemical synthesis of MVD1, the flagship drug that has recently entered the human trial phase. -
María Inés Costa
For demonstrating that necessity can lead to innovation; for bringing handwoven textiles from the heart of Uruguay to the world; and for reminding us that great ideas can also emerge from simple moments.
María Inés Costa was going through one of the most intense and transformative phases of her life: her maternity leave. Amid baby bottles, brief breaks, and quiet nights, she found a space of her own in crochet. It was there, while making a gift for her newborn son, that she began to feel pain in her hand—a familiar sensation for many crocheters.
What for others would have been nothing more than a passing inconvenience became a source of creative inspiration for her: was there a simpler, more comfortable way to do it?
Drawing on his design training and a constant curiosity, he embarked on a process of exploration that included sketches, tests, 3D-printed prototypes, and numerous trials, ultimately leading to the development of an innovative solution: a tool that maintains constant yarn tension, reduces the effort required for knitting, and allows the needle to glide with precision.
That initial need led to an invention. That invention evolved into a patented design and, later, into an internationally licensed product, which is now sold in the United States and Canada, proving that an idea born in a living room in Uruguay can reach the world.
The journey also left room for compassion and social commitment: using that same tool, María Inés knitted items for premature babies in hospitals, reminding us that innovation isn’t just about creating, but also about supporting others.
This year, that journey of ingenuity and dedication was recognized with the Ingenias LATAM 2025 Award from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which honors women inventors whose work has an impact on the daily lives of thousands of people.
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Nausicaa Palomeque
For his belief that literature should be for everyone, his courage to innovate, his commitment to accessibility, and his love for stories that deserve to be told and heard.
Nausicaa Palomeque She is a journalist and educator with a passion for literature and inclusion; this calling to listen—and to amplify other voices—led her to think beyond the traditional book. Drawing on her connection to the written word and radio, she decided to bring together her knowledge, convictions, and experience to create something new.Thisis how “8 que cuentan” came to be: not just as an anthology, but as a meeting place. A bridge between contemporary Uruguayan literature and those who are often left out of the publishing circuit, especially young people who are blind or have low vision. A convergence of text and sound, of reading and listening, of the printed word and the spoken word.
The project brings together eight short stories by contemporary authors, which have been adapted into audio pieces featuring actors and the use of soundscapes that evoke the night, the city, the countryside, memory, and emotions. Each story is also available in Braille and large print, so it can be read and experienced without barriers.
In addition, “8 que cuentan” was conceived as an open and community-minded initiative: the books are not sold, but rather distributed free of charge in public high schools to students who are blind or have low vision. This decision reinforces the initiative’s commitment to equitable access to literature and artistic expression.
At the same time, these stories are circulating on Spotify and other podcast platforms, expanding their reach and reaching different parts of the country, Latin America, and the world. These contemporary stories are finding new ways to be shared, through an inclusive and open lens.
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Tatiana Varela
For fostering a space that strengthens Uruguay’s creative ecosystem, for promoting design as a tool for transformation, and for making SuperLocal an essential gathering place for those who build culture through ideas and craftsmanship.
This award recognizes SuperLocal, a festival born from a firm conviction: to view design not as an accessory, but as a central tool for reflecting on the present, fostering community connections, and envisioning new horizons.The project is led by Tatiana Varela, a designer and cultural producer who launched a platform that brought together designers, artists, entrepreneurs, students, institutions, and local residents in a single space, creating an environment for connection, exchange, and collective creation.
Over time, SuperLocal has established itself as a festival that showcases the best of contemporary design through talks, workshops, exhibitions, installations, and events open to the public. Its approach combines local talent with global perspectives, experimentation with identity, and creativity with a sustainable outlook.
Together with her team, Tatiana conceived an event that goes beyond simply showcasing projects to build a creative community: an initiative that inspires, fosters cross-pollination, highlights trades and expertise, connects disciplines, and reaffirms design as a cultural practice that impacts the region, the city, and collective life.
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Uruguay U-200
For bringing the country closer to its own mar , for advancing knowledge, for building bridges between technology, science, and society, and for reminding us that Uruguay also exists below 200 meters.
This award recognizes a project that encourages us to look beyond the horizon and to reconnect Uruguay with its deep ocean, a vast and vital region that is part of the country, even though it remains almost invisible to most people.Uruguay Sub200 was founded with a clear and ambitious mission: to bring the ocean closer to society, promote ocean literacy, and demonstrate why understanding the mar key to a sustainable future. To this end, it supports one of the most advanced scientific expeditions in the world.
Coordinated by Leticia Burone and Alvar Carranza, the project established itself as a bridge between science, technology, and the public, translating highly specialized knowledge into content accessible to the Uruguayan public.
In 2025, Uruguay Sub200 will participate in the Fkt250812 expedition aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too), a floating laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the ROV SuBastian, capable of descending to depths of 4,500 meters and transmitting live images from the ocean depths.
From that deep-sea world to the screens of children, students, and teachers, the project opens a window onto little-explored ecosystems through high-definition images and data, offering a glimpse into a seafloor that remains largely unexplored.
Beyond exploration, Uruguay U200 aims to share, educate, and inspire, integrating science, education, and citizenship into a collective experience that transforms knowledge into learning.
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CAVI
For promoting the industry, for bringing together talent, for opening doors to the international market, and for investing in a creative sector with limitless potential.
This award is for a project that arose from a shared conviction: that In Uruguay, too, worlds are created. Worlds imagined, designed, programmed, and played; worlds that travel farther than any ship, bringing Uruguayan talent to thousands—and sometimes millions—of screens around the world.In December 2016, a group of studios and developers realized that the local creative scene needed more than just enthusiasm. It needed a unified voice.
That is how CAVI, the Uruguayan Chamber of Video Game Developers, was born—the result of a collaborative initiative known as La Mesa de Videojuegos, where public and private institutions came together with a shared goal: to foster a young industry brimming with potential.Since then, CAVI has become a community builder. Supporting both established companies and startups, it has created tools for growth, forged ties with public agencies, and organized spaces for learning, networking, and fostering new ideas.
Among these initiatives is LEVEL UY, the annual event that has become a highlight for those who work—or dream of working—in the video game industry in Uruguay.Today, more than 30 companies and over 100 professionals make up a sector that continues to grow, driven by success stories that have made headlines around the world and proven that even from Uruguay, it is possible to build businesses capable of winning over global players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6YdjO9xIC0&t=2s