In April 2025, Luis Alonso, Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab’s City Science group, visited Concepción, Chile, to mark the official launch of the City Science Summit 2025, which will be hosted later this year in the Biobío Region. His visit celebrated the strengthening collaboration between MIT and local partners dedicated to shaping more sustainable, human-centered cities.

While in Concepción, Luis met with the team at the City Science Lab Biobío, engaging in conversations around the lab’s CityScope implementation and exploring opportunities to further integrate advanced urban modeling tools into regional planning efforts. The exchange highlighted the lab’s role as a key innovation hub in Latin America.

Luis also had the opportunity to meet with Sergio Giacaman García, Governor of the Biobío Region. Their discussion focused on the strategic impact of the upcoming summit, the role of data-driven tools in policymaking, and the potential for long-term partnerships between academic institutions and local governments.

The visit laid important groundwork for the summit and reinforced a shared commitment to using technology and design to build more inclusive, resilient, and adaptive cities.