Science, Technology and Innovation for Productivity and Prosperity

September 9, 2010

Oscar HarasicOffice of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI)Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT)

Cortesía: Google Images.

STEISTEI

Health

Telecommunications

Environment

Transport

Energy

EducationFood

Housing

Trade

Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation have an impact on all areas of human activitieshave an impact on all areas of human activities

Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)

Consumer Protection

Social Responsibility

Biotechnology Market Access

Ecotourism

Micro, Small and Medium sized Enteprises (MSMEs)

Competitiveness

Quality

Manufacturing

Nanotechnology

Research and Development (R&D)

Agricultural industry Value

chains

ProsperityProsperity(to reach social well-being)

ProductivityProductivity(more production per worker)

Quality + InnovationQuality + Innovation(products, services and processes with

value-added)

Competitiveness Competitiveness (expansion of exports and markets)

Innovation, Competitiveness Innovation, Competitiveness and Prosperityand Prosperity

Courtesy: Google images

Triple Value Added of OASTriple Value Added of OAS

“Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation as tools for Prosperity”

(Plan of Action of the 2nd Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities in Science and Technology, Mexico 2008)

STEI and public policies for integral

development

STEI as tools for sustainable natural resource

management

STEI as tools for increasing

competitiveness

Mandates Mandates and Political and Political Priorities ofPriorities of

governments of governments of the Americasthe Americas

Power to Convene: Strategic Partners

OAS – Office of Science, OAS – Office of Science, Technology and Technology and

InnovationInnovation

Activities and Programs in the Lines of ActionActivities and Programs in the Lines of Action

EftA TMTM

STEI = Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation

OSTI Lines of Action

Power to Convene : Cooperation and Strategic AlliancesPower to Convene : Cooperation and Strategic Alliances

Initiatives and Projects in applied STEI to the following Lines of Action:

Program of Science, Technology and Innovation for Society

Objectives

• General: General: to effectively contribute to the dissemination and appropriation of STI knowledge by Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

• Specific: Specific: to strengthen scientific journalism capacities through the exchange of better practices and training through regional horizontal cooperation.

Current Achievements

• Contests for young scientific journalists through the National Organisms of S&T (simultaneously in South and Central America).

• Sub-regional Seminars in:

Argentina (South America –Oct) Mexico (Central America - Nov) English speaking Caribbean (2011-I)

• Inter-American Scientific Journalism Web Portal (launching at seminars)

• Cooperation Agreement with the Organization for Cooperation Agreement with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSDW/TWOWS) and the Academy of Sciences for (OWSDW/TWOWS) and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).the Developing World (TWAS).

• Virtual Course on Science, Technology and Society: Virtual Course on Science, Technology and Society: Inputs of a Gender Focus (OEA/UNESCO).Inputs of a Gender Focus (OEA/UNESCO).

• With the Latin American and the Caribbean With the Latin American and the Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) and Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) and others, a study is being designed on participation of others, a study is being designed on participation of women in engineering studies and teaching. women in engineering studies and teaching.

Activities in Gender Equality and Equity

Bio-Innovation Network for the Americas (BIONNA)

Objectives

• General: General: to strengthen competitiveness and the capacity for local innovation in bioengineering for LAC.

• Specific:Specific: to promote cooperation between enterprises, innovators, researchers, public and private sector leaders, cooperatives, indigenous groups and civil society through a virtual network for biotechnological innovation with emphasis on agriculture, food security, energy, environment and health.

Current Achievements

• The project design was carried out in the OAS facilities with a researcher of the Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD-México), sponsored by CIDA (Canadá) and CONACYT.

• Launching of the regional network will be at Sonora, Mexico (Sept 21-22)

• Currently the project is in the first stage of execution.

Expected Results

• A sustainable virtual network, within an interactive web portal, that includes a data base of stakeholders and discussion fora.

Innovation Awareness Seminars Innovation Awareness Seminars

Collaboration and participation in YABT, LACCEI and others, with presentations for Collaboration and participation in YABT, LACCEI and others, with presentations for seminars and training workshops (InnovAcción and ICT Americas) to increase seminars and training workshops (InnovAcción and ICT Americas) to increase awareness in diverse audiences, preferably young entrepreneurs and small businesses, awareness in diverse audiences, preferably young entrepreneurs and small businesses, of the importance of innovation in business development, competitiveness and of the importance of innovation in business development, competitiveness and economic development. economic development.

Current Achievements

• Panelist in Workshop InnovAcción (Argentina, Nov. 2009)

• 2 presentations at the Forum: Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness (Peru, Mayo 2010)

País/Economía Innovación

Calidad en Instituciones de

Investigación Científica

Gasto Privado en

I+D

Cooperación Universidad- Industria en

I+D

Abastecimiento del Gobierno con

Productos de Tecnología Avanzada

Disponibilidad de Científicos e

Ingenieros

Patentes de Innovación

Estados Unidos 1 2 5 1 4 5 3Japón 4 15 2 20 49 2 2Taiwan, China 6 18 9 12 7 7 1Alemania 7 5 4 10 45 35 9Israel 9 3 11 21 26 16 4Rep. de Corea 11 22 10 24 15 25 5Canada 12 11 22 9 25 6 10India 30 25 36 46 68 4 58Promedio LAC 91 89 87 79 90 93 71

País/Economía Innovación

Calidad en Instituciones de

Investigación Científica

Gasto Privado en

I+D

Cooperación Universidad- Industria en

I+D

Abastecimiento del Gobierno con

Productos de Tecnología Avanzada

Disponibilidad de Científicos e

Ingenieros

Patentes de Innovación

Estados Unidos 1 2 5 1 4 5 3Japón 4 15 2 20 49 2 2Taiwan, China 6 18 9 12 7 7 1Alemania 7 5 4 10 45 35 9Israel 9 3 11 21 26 16 4Rep. de Corea 11 22 10 24 15 25 5Canada 12 11 22 9 25 6 10India 30 25 36 46 68 4 58Promedio LAC 91 89 87 79 90 93 71

Economías de InnovaciónEconomías de Factores

Source: Based on data of the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), World Source: Based on data of the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), World Economic Forum (2010).Economic Forum (2010).

Program of Engineering Education Program of Engineering Education for Competitivenessfor Competitiveness

• Update of curricular contents (better practices)

• Implementation in 8 participating universities (including strategic alliances)

• Inter-American Engineering Education Web Portal

Objectives

Expected Results

• General:General: to improve competitiveness and the capacity for innovation in LAC through a highly qualified engineering labor force.

• Specific: Specific: to improve the curricula of the five basic engineering (CIMEC) in LAC universities through the update of contents, adoption of global competencies and entrepreneurship capacities, as well as cooperation agreements between universities and the public and private sectors.

Initial Coordination for a Pilot Project on Industrial Engineering (PUC-Rio and Virginia Tech)

Industrial Engineering Module

Current AchievementEftA TMTM

EftAEftA

Industry

AcademiaProfessional AssociationsR&D

Government

Project of Triangular Cooperation : Metrology in Natural Gas

Objectives:

Objectives

• General: to contribute to the standardization of the natural gas market in Bolivia and Peru, with direct benefits to consumers, through the improvement of its efficiency in production, distribution and marketing.

• Specific: Specific: to improve technical competence to measure natural gas (volume and content) in the respective National Metrology Institutes.

Bolivia and Bolivia and PeruPeru

GermanyGermany

Mexico and Mexico and BrazilBrazil

Current Achievements

• Diagnosis of metrological capabilities • Training of laboratory personnel • Identification of laboratory infrastructure

requirements• Implementation of certification services for

natural gas blends (in execution)

Quality Infrastructure for Competitiveness: Regional Plan of Action to Strengthen Basic Capabilities in Metrological Services in Central America and the DR

Participating National Metrology Institutes:Participating National Metrology Institutes:GuatemalaGuatemalaEl SalvadorEl SalvadorNicaraguaNicaraguaCosta RicaCosta RicaPanamaPanamaDominican RepublicDominican Republic

Objective

Current Achievements

To rely on a roadmap for the establishment of an organized and operative metrological infrastructure to support international trade in the region through a system with internationally recognized measurements.

• Evaluation of supply and demand of basic metrological services

• Preparation and approval of a feasible Plan of Action to strengthen basic capabilities of metrological services towards a distributed cooperation network in the region

Improvement of National Quality Systems for Competitiveness (Central America and the Dominican Republic)

Objective

To attain accreditation of laboratories through the improvement of their technical capabilities. To attain, in addition, certification of meat products for meat processors with export potential by strengthening their technical infrastructure.

Current achievements

This project is currently being designed for DR

Expected Results

• Diagnosis of the current situation of enterprises in the meat sector

• Identification of enterprises with the best practices and export potential

• Review of the situation of meat sanitation.• Training at laboratories in accordance with

international procedures to attain accreditation

Strategic Alliances: Agreements and Other Activities of Cooperation

• Agreement with the International Council for Science (Agreement with the International Council for Science (ICSUICSU) ) for the strengthening of scientific and engineering capacities.for the strengthening of scientific and engineering capacities.

• Development of initiatives of Internet 2 (Caribbean): Latin Development of initiatives of Internet 2 (Caribbean): Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (CLARACLARA).).

• Cooperation Agreement with the Public Intellectual Property Cooperation Agreement with the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (Resource for Agriculture (PIPRAPIPRA) / University of California.) / University of California.

• Agreement with the Institute of the Americas (Agreement with the Institute of the Americas (IOAIOA) and the ) and the Trust of the Americas (Trust of the Americas (TrustTrust) for scientific journalism.) for scientific journalism.

• Agreement with the Agreement with the CRUSACRUSA Foundation of Costa Rica for Foundation of Costa Rica for projects that promote interdisciplinary and international projects that promote interdisciplinary and international cooperation for advanced technologies.cooperation for advanced technologies.

Recap: OSTI Achievements in the Lines of Action (2009-2010)

STEI and public policies for integral development

STEI as tools for sustainable natural resource

management

STEI as tools for increasing competitiveness

• Program of Science, Technology and Innovation for Society (in execution).

• Gender: cooperation agreements, virtual course and design for a study on women in engineering.

• Collaboration in BIONNA network project (1st phase).

• Awareness seminars in Innovation.• Engineering Education for Competitiveness: Module of

Industrial Engineering (approved).• Pilot Project in Industrial Engineering (PUC-Rio and

Virginia Tech) (initiating). • Triangular Cooperation Project: Metrology of Natural

Gas (in execution).• Quality Infrastructure for Competitiveness: Regional

Plan of Action in Metrology Services for CAMET and the Dominican Republic (final phase).

Power to Convene: Cooperation and Strategic AlliancesPower to Convene: Cooperation and Strategic Alliances

OSTI has yet much to do…

• The challenge: create awareness The challenge: create awareness in government authorities and the private sector on the importance of STI importance of STI in the development of the region.

• Our countries need to invest invest in the strengthening of STI capacities: infrastructure, training, exchanges of best practices, research, and trade facilitation.

• In order to go forward, OSTI OSTI requires sustainable mechanisms to secure financial resources for the preparation and the implementation of capacity building projects, in accordance to the lines of actions that the countriescountries selected as prioritiespriorities during the Mexico Ministerial.

Thank you, Gracias, Merci, Obrigado

Oscar HarasicChief, Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI)oharasic@oas.org