Representing Uruguay were Facundo Rocha, a biotechnology engineering graduate from ORT; and Fiorella Toniotti, a biotechnology engineering graduate from ORT, representing PhycoTech; Rodrigo Filippini, a biotechnology engineering graduate from ORT, representing CleanWall; and Eitán Wuhl, a graduate with a degree in Management and Administration from ORT, representing Aula+. These three projects were winners of the Uruguayan editions of the ILAN Awards.
The meeting, which took place on Tuesday, July 28, at the presidential residence, was also attended by Florencia Pucciano, Lic., MBA, entrepreneurship coordinator at ORT’s CIE.
For this event, ILAN selected one representative from each participating country to address the Israeli president. The organization chose Pucciano, who spoke on behalf of the Uruguayan delegation.
In her remarks, the CIE coordinator expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome and shared the insights the delegation had gained during its tour of Israel.
He also presented the work being carried out by the National Institute for Higher Education ( Universidad ORT Uruguay ) in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as its ties to the Israeli ecosystem, known internationally as “Startup Nation” due to its concentration of technology companies, investment, and innovative projects.
"Uruguay is currently the Latin American country with the most unicorns per capita, and we are proud to say that all of them emerged from our university, the Universidad ORT Uruguay," said Pucciano.
The event with the president was attended by Isaac Assa, president and founder of the Israel Innovation Network (ILAN), a nonprofit organization that connects entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and innovation leaders in Israel and Latin America.
The ILAN 2026 Delegation brought together 87 participants from seven countries, representing 24 universities and 55 innovation projects.