- More than 40 women from the university participated in the successful program where they developed solutions to attract and retain female talent in a historically male-dominated sector.
More than 40 female students from Universidad Católica de Chile participated in the first challenge of the Inchcape Women Challenge program, an initiative driven by Inchcape - the leading automotive distributor in the region - the UC Anacleto Angelini Innovation Center, and the UC School of Design.
Through mentorships, workshops, and co-creation spaces, the participants developed concrete proposals to attract new talent to the automotive sector, addressing the challenges of a transforming industry that seeks to be more inclusive, diverse, and innovative.
The challenge took place over three sessions — May 19 and 26, and June 2 — with the participation of 10 teams composed exclusively of women, selected from over 100 applications. Each group was guided through mentorships provided by the automotive company and led by Paula Wuth, professor at the UC School of Design and Director of Experience and Strategy at New Future.
“We are very proud of this partnership, which has been key to connecting academic knowledge with the real challenges of our industry. In just one month, thanks to methodologies like design for innovation, we received five practical and relevant solutions to attract more women to the mobility industry. A clear example of the impact generated by collaboration between private companies and academia,” said Adriana Ubilla, People Director of Inchcape Chile.
Five teams advanced to the final stage, where they presented their ideas to an interdisciplinary jury composed of representatives from Inchcape, the UC Innovation Center, and the UC School of Design:
- Adriana Ubilla, People Director, Inchcape Chile
- María Ignacia Brantes, Machinery Clients & Marketing Manager, Inchcape
- Felipe Oschenius, Logistics Manager OEM Parts, Inchcape Chile
- Sebastián Dañil, Commercial Manager Mini, Inchcape Chile
- Claudia Zañartu, Head of Incubation, UC Innovation Center
- Marcela Mora, Deputy Director of Communications, UC School of Design
Regarding this, Marcela Mora, Deputy Director of Communications at the UC School of Design, commented, “The proposals surprised us with their conceptual depth, feasibility, and transformative vision. It is essential to open more spaces for women to design and implement solutions in an industry that still presents gender gaps. This type of initiative demonstrates the value of diversity in generating real innovation.”
Meanwhile, Claudia Bonilla, Director of Business Development at the UC Innovation Center, stated, “We have worked collaboratively to drive this challenge that seeks to open more opportunities for women in areas where there is still much progress to be made. The process of inspiration, reflection, and co-creation that culminated with three winning teams demonstrates the enormous potential of the ideas generated here to create real-world impact.”
The winning teams “Moverlas,” “Igniting the Engine of the Future,” and “Kilometer Zero” stood out for their creativity, depth of analysis, and viable proposals to address one of our greatest challenges: attracting more women to the world of mobility, fostering innovation, and providing concrete opportunities for learning and participation to advance towards more diverse, sustainable, and transformative environments.
A long-term commitment
This activity is part of the Inchcape Women Challenge, a program that will continue through 2025 to strengthen gender equity, attract female talent, and promote a profound cultural transformation in the mobility ecosystem. With this initiative, Inchcape and UC reaffirm their commitment to a more inclusive, diverse, and future-ready industry.