Can Mexico make the leap in Innovation?

 

In 2012, President Enrique Peña Nieto set the very ambitious goal of increasing Mexico’s investment in Science and Technology from the current 0.4 percent to 1 percent of GDP by the end of his mandate in 2018. This commitment has generated a strong debate on what policies should be adopted to support such an extraordinary effort. In this framework, the question on what policies might work for Mexico and how their effectiveness could be measured has become more crucial than ever.

Last June I had the opportunity and pleasure to contribute to such debate in two events organized by the Mexican Foro Consultivo Cientifico y Technologico (FCCyT) in Mexico City. The first event was a two days training on “Impact Evaluation of Science and Technology Programs” taught by Gustavo Crespi and myself. The training targeted an audience of public officials, graduate students, and academics who wanted to have a better understanding of how impact evaluation techniques can be (or have been) applied to policies aimed at promoting scientific production and business innovation. Gustavo’s and my presentations have been posted in the FCCyT website.

The second event was a one day workshop on the evaluation of science, innovation and technology policies. Key authorities and stakeholders from the Mexican National Innovation System participated in the event and contributed to a deep and lively discussion moderated by the FCCyT’s Director Gabriela Dutrénit. The discussion included presentations by Fred Gault (UN-Merit University), Chiara Criscuolo (OECD), Ximena Usher (ANII), and other experts – including myself – and covered topics such as the measurement of the effects scientific research funding, the implementation and evaluation of business innovation support programs, and the generation and management of micro-data for impact evaluations. My personal contribution focused on the IDB experience in evaluating funding for scientific research. Because, the entire event was broadcasted live on the web, all the presentations and videos have been posted in the FCCyT website.

Enjoy!