FINAL REPORT OF THE SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (COMCYT).DOC

FINAL REPORT OF THE SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMCYT ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Inter-American Council for Integral Development

SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE OEA/Ser.W/XIII.3.5

Washington, D.C

FINAL REPORT OF THE SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (COMCYT)

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

Inter-American Council for Integral Development

(CIDI)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I INAUGURAL SESSION 1

II FIRST PLENARY SESSION 2

1 Adoption of the draft agenda, the annotated agenda, and the draft work calendar 2

2 Progress Reports on the Plan of Action of Mexico 2

 Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCyT) 2

 Executive Secretariat, Organization of American States 2

3 Working Group of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) to strengthen CIDI and its organs 4

4 Civil Society Recommendations 4

5 National Progress Reports on the Plan of Action of Mexico 5

 Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) and public development policies 5

 Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) as instruments for sustainable management of natural resources 6

 Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) as instruments to increase productivity 7

III SECOND PLENARY SESSION 9

1 Presentation of the projects supported and implemented by OSTI in compliance with the mandates of the Second Ministerial Meeting 9

 Innovation and Competitiveness 9

 Metrology 9

 Scientific Journalism 10

 Engineering Education 10

2 Inter-agency Roundtable on Cooperation in Science and Technology: Supply and Demand 11

IV THIRD PLENARY SESSION 12

1 Election of authorities 12

2 Third Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology within the framework of CIDI 13

3 Support mechanisms for the COMCYT 13

4 Other matters 13

5 Conclusions and Recommendations of the VI Regular meeting of the COMCYT 14

V CLOSING SESSION 15

VI SELECTED ACRONYMS 16

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FINAL REPORT OF THE VI REGULAR MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE

ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (COMCYT) The Sixth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCYT), held on September 9 and 10, 2010, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C., was convened by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the OAS as the Technical Secretariat of that Committee, pursuant to Article 8

of the Rules of Procedure of the COMCYT

Twenty-six member states took part in the meeting: Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela

Documents, speeches and presentations made during the meeting are available on the web page of the VI COMCYT: www.sedi.oas.org/DTTC/comcyt

I INAUGURAL SESSION

The inaugural session was held on September 9, 2010, and was chaired by Mr José Lino Barañao, Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina Joining him at the head table were: Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Mauricio Cortes Costa, Executive Secretary for Integral Development (SEDI), Mr Jorge Saggiante, Director of the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DDECT), and

Mr Oscar Harasic, Chief of the OAS Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation (OSTI)

Ambassador Ramdin opened the session emphasizing that in order to increase competitiveness, productivity, and employment opportunities in the Hemisphere, it is essential to foster public policies aimed at increasing investment in science and technology; to invest in education and to encourage young people to take an active part in matters of social, cultural, economic, scientific and technological importance; to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation; to encourage cooperation between academia, the private sector and the government; and to strengthen alliances with other countries in order to share best practices

Immediately following Ambassador Ramdin, Minister Barañao pointed out that there are varying degrees of scientific-technological development in the region but that there are also common challenges, among them: increasing sustainable production; fostering social inclusion through job creation and improving the living conditions of the population; developing a scientific culture; making profound changes and carrying out specific actions in education in order to prepare and train individuals who are highly skilled in science and technology; teaching new generations about the consequences of economic development and the impact of technology; fostering entrepreneurship by developing institutional support mechanisms for those who are willing to take the risk to start a technology based business; impressing upon university graduates the value of intellectual property; achieving cooperation between countries with regard to science policies by coordinating joint actions and efforts to make them more efficient and, most of all, to apply them in areas where it is possible to achieve short-term and mid-term results, and establishing international cooperation agreements in

order to prevent policies from changing from one government to the next and thus ensuring that long-range objectives are maintained

II FIRST PLENARY SESSION

The First Plenary Session addressed the following subject matters:

1 Adoption of the draft agenda, the annotated agenda, and the draft work calendar The draft agenda, the annotated agenda and the draft work calendar were adopted without modifications

2 Progress Reports on the Plan of Action of Mexico

 Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCyT)

As Chairman of the COMCYT, Minister Barañao, presented an executive report in which he indicated that the countries have enhanced the role of science and technology by strengthening their national secretariats; implementing policies, laws, and regulatory frameworks to foster knowledge creation and the application of technology and innovation as development tools Furthermore, the Minister stated that these new policies have helped the development and strengthening of higher education and its ability to graduate highly qualified individuals He also pointed out the increased level of connectivity in the region which makes it easier for the general population to have access to and make use of scientific and technological knowledge But, the Minister said, the private sector is investing very little in science, technology, and innovation

He added that ever since Argentina assumed the chairmanship of the COMCYT, it has tried to detect areas where science and technology do not have a presence, or where priority areas at regional level do not have sufficient financing; to provide more focus to the strategic actions of the COMCYT;

to compile information on available sources of funds to finance science and technology activities; to avoid overlap regarding financing or duplication of efforts; and to push for the development of Regional Technological Platforms that take advantage of the knowledge and innovation in the region

to sustain growth Minister Barañao concluded his presentation by emphasizing that the OAS is an ideal forum for regional dialogue and cooperation and provides an important opportunity to contribute information and recommendations to the highest authorities in science and technology in preparation for the Third Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities in Science and Technology (Ministerial)

 Executive Secretariat, Organization of American States

Ambassador Cortes Costa pointed out the urgent need to increase public and private investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) in order to achieve socio-economic and competitive growth; to design and implement policies that encourage and promote the participation of the private sector; to foster from a very early age innovation and entrepreneurship as engines of long range social, cultural, economic, and political development, and to strengthen the link between academia, research centers and businesses in order to support and guide the development and

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-innovation of commercially viable products and applications Ambassador Cortes Costa presented 20/25 Vision, a new inter-American science and technology program that highlights inclusive innovation to promote sophisticated knowledge to invent, design, produce, and sell high performance products and services at accessible prices to the neediest individuals and encouraging them to take part in co-creating and co-innovating inclusive solutions He also pointed out that the OSTI has been working in several strategic areas such as the popularization and appropriation of science; the development of skills in metrology and in quality systems; improving engineering education and developing biotechnology Furthermore, the ambassador reminded the delegates that the OAS provides a political and technical cooperation space in which to join forces, search for ways to complement each other’s efforts, create synergies and be able to share the benefits brought about by science and technology But, he added, this requires decisive political and financial support in order

to make a relevant contribution to the development of the region Ambassador Cortes Costa concluded his presentation by pointing out that the meeting offered the opportunity to reaffirm priorities, design new and better cooperation strategies, and make solid commitments that would actually lead States from declarations of universal agreement to specific and objective actions, and urged member states to translate their political commitment into financial support

Next, Mr Saggiante pointed out that Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) are the main agents of change and socio-economic development and that it is essential to have political support and commitment to develop policies that encourage substantive, strategic, and permanent public and private investment in order to meet the objective of investing 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in science and technology He suggested strengthening the link between academia and the scientific sector with industry in order for universities to better guide their research towards practical applications and, therefore, turn out a better trained labor force Mr Saggiante said that hemispheric coordination and cooperation were essential in creating synergies that would boost the impact of the resources available to each country and to increase competitiveness and development He stressed the urgency of taking decisive, long-term actions that would put the region

on the path to greater growth and to a more sustainable and higher quality development He concluded his presentation by urging member states to develop a medium and long-term Inter-American Program on Science, Technology and Innovation (20/25 Vision), with clearly identifiable objectives and goals that could be followed up in a timely and efficient manner

Following Mr Saggiante’s presentation, Mr Oscar Harasic spoke of science and technology

as essential instruments that must be planned and used to help social and economic development He highlighted some important projects carried out by OSTI: Science, Technology and Innovation Program for Society; Popularization and Appropriation of Science; Gender mainstreaming; Bio-Innovation Network for the Americas (BIONNA); Bio-Innovation Awareness Seminars; Engineering Education for Competiveness Program, and Metrology Projects Last, Mr Harasic pointed out the need to make governments and the private sector aware of the importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the development of the region; to invest in infrastructure, training, sharing of best practices, research and to facilitate trade; and to develop sustainable mechanisms for allocating financial resources

The delegations requested the floor The United States delegate pointed out his government’s commitment to support education, foster entrepreneurship, promote a culture of innovation, and encourage the participation of women for the purpose of increasing trade and development The delegate reaffirmed the important role played by OAS initiatives such as Engineering for the Americas (EftA) and the Inter-American Metrology System He recommended increasing private

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-investment, encouraging young people to study applied sciences and to strengthen international alliances in order to foster a climate of innovation in the Hemisphere In conclusion, the delegate said that they should learn from successful experiences in other countries and to seek cooperation

The delegate of Costa Rica expressed the opinion that science and technology topics must address the needs of the region The delegate suggested strengthening education systems and encouraging the training of scientists from a very early age because they will be the developers of technology in the future Last, the delegate urged the participants not to confuse “access to information”–to have information available for use–with “access to knowledge”–to have the analytical and intellectual skills to understand this information

For her part, the delegate of El Salvador spoke of the establishment in her country of the Vice Ministry of Science and Technology with two main areas of responsibility: education and research Furthermore, the delegate pointed out that the administrative systems in the countries obstruct and delay the development of science and technology due to, primarily, the amount of time it takes them

to sign agreements and to purchase new equipment, which prevents highly skilled individuals from transforming their ideas into products and services, and, in fact, encourage them to emigrate She suggested that the OAS conduct a study to determine existing administrative obstacles in universities that hinder scientific and technological development in the region

3 Working Group of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American

Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) to strengthen CIDI and its organs

Mr Darren Rogers, Chair of the CEPCIDI Working Group and Alternate Representative of the Mission of Canada to the OAS, pointed out three priority areas: to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms and to create new ones; improve the relationship between political processes, such as ministerial or high authorities’ meetings, with OAS cooperation and programs; and

to improve the architecture of the OAS in order to take full advantage of the working groups Moreover, Mr Rogers indicated that they must seek sources of financing either within the OAS, through member states, or outside of it, and evaluate the performance of the groups identifying which elements have worked and which have not

4 Civil Society Recommendations

Mrs María Petrie, Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), and Vice President of EftA to improve curricula, led the presentation She made reference to the importance of the Engineering Education for Competitiveness (EEC) project of the OSTI, which proposes curriculum reform and the dissemination

of best practices through centers of excellence Mrs Petrie further emphasized that the collaborative projects on Metrology and Logistics developed by OSTI promise to have significant impact in the area of productivity She recommended that governments commit funds to EftA; promote the international accreditation of engineering programs as well as the training of professors and deans in order to reform the teaching of engineering; and that they commit themselves to help provide data for studies and to develop science and technology strategies Last, Mrs Petrie suggested that the topic Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) in the prevention of and recovery from disasters be included in the next ministerial meeting

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-The next presentation was made by Mrs Alice Abreu, Director of the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Council for Science (ICSU) She pointed out that ICSU has emphasized increasing scientific capacity in developing countries and the integration

of science in international research activities Her recommendations to the COMCYT were: to identify the risks and the impact of natural disasters; to develop an inter-American study on renewable energy; to identify research priorities in biodiversity and to evaluate the impact of climate change, and improve math education

Last, in his presentation, Mr Benjamín Marticorena, Director of Academic Relations of the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (CLARA), recommended to the COMCYT to extend high speed national networks for research and education beyond their capital cities to the interior of the countries, in order to foster the development of the local economy and of the intellectual skills of the population; and to increase budget allocations specially for accredited post-graduate education programs He also pointed out the importance of international cooperation in order for countries to collaborate with others to carry out joint research projects to produce better results

5 National Progress Reports on the Plan of Action of Mexico

 STEI and public development policies

The delegate of Saint Lucia began his presentation by pointing out that in the area of education his country’s efforts were aimed at providing schools computers and internet access, and to educate the population in applying science and technology to agriculture in order to increase production while using less land In the area of integral policies, the delegate indicated that his government had established the National Council on Science and Technology for Development which would provide the guidelines to advance in Science, Technology and Innovation Furthermore, he indicated that they would invest in scientific and technological research for the purpose of optimizing the use of drinking water and to search for new methods to generate power In conclusion, the delegate said that Saint Lucia was ready to cooperate with other countries in science and technology

Next, the delegate of Mexico described the activities carried out by the National Science and Technology Council of Mexico (CONACYT), including scholarships granted for post-graduate and doctoral degree programs and specializations; the establishment of the Accreditation Program for educational programs; the development of the National System of Researchers; the creation of the repatriation program; the development of thematic research networks to foster the relationship between academia, government and society; secure financing to carry out specific scientific and technological development projects; support programs for businesses that invest in innovation, and the development of a reservoir of evaluators to improve the level of specialization and interdisciplinary knowledge of those individuals who evaluate science and technology projects Other areas to which Mexico is committed include: improving indicators; to standardize information

in order to guarantee useful comparisons at the international level; to increase the participation of women in science and technology, and to strengthen bilateral and multilateral links with other countries

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-Last, the delegate of Peru began his presentation by noting that in order to provide consistency and permanence to laws and policies on science and technology, support mechanisms need to be developed to help countries achieve their objectives despite changes in government The delegate also highlighted some of the activities carried out by the National Council on Science, Technology and Technological Innovation of Peru (CONCYTEC) such as the enactment of the Framework Law; the establishment of Regional Science and Technology Councils; meetings between universities and the private sector, and the establishment of CONCYTEC Chairs He acknowledged the importance of disseminating scientific information both for society and for politicians and entrepreneurs, to drive home the point that in order to reduce poverty resources must not only be allocated to address social concerns but also to support science and technology In closing, he pointed out the essential role played by international scientific cooperation in providing support for science and technology policies

 STEI as instruments for sustainable management of natural resources

The United States delegation introduced this topic with two presentations In the first one, the delegation pointed out the need to establish new alliances to promote science and technology The delegate described three initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regarding climate

change that had received financial support through a mechanism developed by the National Science

Foundation (NSF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to

co-finance projects and indicated that this mechanism could be applied to other projects in the region In the second presentation, as an example of cooperation, the delegate mentioned the SERVIR Project, a geospatial technology platform to address the risks of climate change which was developed to support the countries in Central America and is now being applied in other regions of the world

Next, the delegate of Nicaragua spoke of the importance of implementing preventive measures to mitigate the catastrophic impact of natural disasters and to encourage national and international private sector investment by making the opportunity to invest more attractive and safer through laws, contracts, and institutions The delegate described some of the projects carried out by his country: the establishment of a legal, political, and regulatory framework that promotes development; the creation of a scientific, technological, and innovation registry; securing sources of financing to promote science and technology; encouraging universities to develop innovative businesses; strengthening alliances between government, academia, and the private sector; the establishment of the Academy of Science; fostering new engineering careers; promoting hydrological research, and growth in the areas of geothermal and wind energy among others

Last, the delegate of Trinidad and Tobago pointed out that his country recognizes that science and technology lead to fast and dramatic industrial and human development, improving the quality of life and the country’s ability to compete The delegate enumerated the seven pillars of development his country has put forth and described the most important science and technology projects being implemented by various institutions: the Coastal Surveillance System; Science Fairs to encourage young people; the Development of the Health and Wellness Tourism Industry and of renewable energy projects, among others

The delegations made their comments The delegate from Saint Lucia stated that in Caribbean countries, people don’t know what to do to address climate change and asked the United States delegate if there were funds that Saint Lucia could have access to in order to raise awareness among its population regarding this subject The United States delegate answered that there was, for

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-example, the Energy Program on scientific education about climate change and developing awareness and that the NSF and other agencies had funds allocated to those subject areas

The delegate of Colombia emphasized the importance that science education begin at a very early age, in the first years of school, and for it to be supported up to and including the doctorate degree, citing as an example the COLCIENCIAS program ONDAS which promotes scientific education in schools, and the Bicentennial Doctoral Education Program The delegate also spoke of the need to encourage doctorate graduates to return to their countries once they have completed their studies or to work with their countries from the country in which they were trained, and urged the other countries to share the experiences and strategies used He pointed out that his country is already working in this area with the World Bank and with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

Minister Barañao pointed out the importance of using advertising campaigns to promote careers in science in order to attract young people to enter the field and also to attract entrepreneurs who want to invest

The delegate of Saint Kitts and Nevis consulted with the United States delegation regarding the mechanisms to gain access to the education funds previously mentioned The United States delegation indicated that, currently, there are no specific mechanisms for island states but that there is

a great deal of interest among the U.S scientific community and that the new NSF-USAID agreement seeks to establish those mechanisms Furthermore, the United States delegate added that the predictive models were quite reliable and that they could begin working right away with the information compiled in order to address climate change

The Panamanian delegate referred to the Logistics Center recently established in her country with the support of the OAS and the IDB, and pointed out that logistics is a priority topic in economic development The delegate explained that the center would provide opportunities for industry, government, and universities to collaborate in improving logistics performance, increase trade and take advantage of synergies Last, the delegate urged the delegations to use the information already compiled to devise practical solutions and thus strengthen the region

 STEI as instruments to increase productivity

With regard to the progress made in Argentina, Minister Barañao explained that in order to resolve the lack of financial mechanisms to protect intellectual property, a system of subsidies was created to make it possible for researchers or companies to contract a professional study to register a patent for the property, therefore providing more security to the investor On the other hand, given the lack of a critical mass to conduct research, the concept of technical partnerships or associations was promoted both in the public and private sectors, by making subsidies available to academic networks and to the productive sector The Minister pointed out that they had few results when financing incubators because there were many incubators but few projects and companies that could carry them to fruition Therefore, the government now finances public-private entities that follow the project and are compensated if the enterprise prospers, establishing objectives from the beginning and determining who is going to sell whatever is developed At the same time, the government reserves for itself a share of the business in order to guarantee that those companies operate in the country and that the product developed is accessible to the population who financed the investment through their taxes Faced with a lack of trained individuals, a Human Resources Program was established as part

of the Framework Program Raíces (Roots) which consists of a subsidy to institutions to fund the