As part of an international collaboration agenda, Juan Enrique Serrano, a researcher at the Millennium Nucleus ICLAC and a faculty member at the Institute of International Studies (IEI) of the University of Chile, presented advances in his research on the impact of Chinese investment in critical sectors in Spain in February. In seminars at CUNEF Universidad (Madrid) and the University of Barcelonathe academic addressed how great-power rivalry and the specificities of Chile's regulatory framework pose urgent challenges for decision-making in infrastructure and strategic resources.
In Madrid, at the invitation of academics Andrés Delgado Casteleiro and Andrés Betancor Rodríguez, Serrano analyzed the tension between legal certainty and geopolitical pressure in areas such as energy and digital technologies. The researcher warned that while the European Union has institutionalized mechanisms to screen Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Chile maintains a facilitation paradigm that is now being challenged. This regulatory gap in the face of great power competition could force informal decisions that affect Chile's reputation as a predictable investment destination.
Subsequently, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona, the researcher presented on China's centrality in the global lithium supply chain. The talk delved into the institutional limitations preventing Chile from moving up toward higher value-added segments, despite strong demand driven by the energy transition. Factors such as the high litigation levels in cases like Tianqi were identified as critical obstacles to the sector's development. Also present at the event were academics Monika Prusinowska and IEI Deputy Director Ricardo Gamboa.