Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have set aside their sports rivalry and joined forces to ramp up biotech expertise across Latin America. In December 2020, the three neighboring nations formed the Latin American Center of Biotechnology (CABBIO).

CABBIO aims to facilitate South America’s economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic by building its biotech capabilities and funding projects. To receive CABBIO support, biotech projects must be developed jointly by member countries. In 1986 Argentina and Brazil formed the first official alliance, with Uruguay entering as an informal participant in 2011. With Uruguay now becoming a full member, all South American nations are being encouraged to join.

CABBIO has financed 140 trinational scientific and biotech projects since its inception. The projects span microbiology/genetics (22%), plant biotech (22%) and industrial development (13%). Now, in response to COVID-19, CABBIO will apportion a larger fraction to antiviral medicine.

CABBIO also sponsors educational exchanges, courses and joint projects, which already engage countries across the continent. The organization has so far taught over 490 courses and trained over 6,500 Brazilian, Argentinian and other Latin American scientists and entrepreneurs.

Books and other publications from CABBIO’s courses are produced in Spanish and Portuguese, and serve to document and spread biotech information in Latin America. Some of CABBIO’s publications are being adopted in graduate courses across the continent.