Uruguay boasts top-tier logistics infrastructure Uruguay’s Industry, Energy and Mining Minister

Caspian Energy (CE): What are the main priorities and objectives to be pursued by the Ministry in the year of 2025?

Elisa Facio, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay: This Ministry addresses a diverse range of topics, including industry, energy, mining, small and midsize enterprises, industrial property, atomic energy for peaceful uses, and telecommunications. Defining policies and ensuring progress in each of these areas forms the framework of my work. 

In March, a new government will take office in our country, and as a result, the authorities of this and other ministries will change. The new authorities will have their own objectives or a new approach. It is important to highlight that during these years, we have achieved the goals we had set at the beginning: to propel Uruguay to the forefront of the knowledge economy through the Uruguay Innovation Hub. This national program seeks to strengthen and accelerate startups in high-growth sectors such as DeepTech, GreenTech and BioTech, as well as to position the country as a benchmark in the search for and resolution of global problems through innovation. Also, we advanced in the develo­pment of the Green Hydrogen industry, which we believe will have a high long-term impact on our country. 

CE: Does the climate change pose challenges for the industrial and energy sectors, and what policies and strategies are underway to ensure sustainable development of these sectors?

Elisa Facio: The challenges posed by climate change for the development of the industrial and energy sectors are, in many cases, unpredictable in the long term. What we can confirm is that in a small country like Uruguay, where a significant part of the economy is based on agriculture, extreme weather events cause substantial damage. For instance, during 2022 and 2023, we experienced the worst drought in decades, driven by the La Niña phenomenon and exacerbated by global war­ming. This persistent drought resulted in production losses exceeding $1 billion and complications in the supply of potable water. When these extreme situations occur, the state implements both generic measures for one or more sectors of the economy and tailored measures for the affected profiles. Being a small country gives us that flexibility. For example, for years, we have been working on early warning systems for extreme weather events and improving irrigation systems for agricultural production.