THE COMMON MARKET OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM (MERCOCYT)

The Common Market of Scientific and Technological Knowledge Program (MERCOCYT Program) is a multinational instrument of the OAS member States that furthers contact among universities and research centers throughout the Hemisphere. Its purpose is to promote cooperation and sharing of scientific and technological information by assisting activities that complement the member States' efforts in research, pre-competitive technological development and support to encourage innovation. The program also promotes cooperation to train highly qualified human resources through research and activities to support innovation.

The Permanent Committee responsible for the MERCOCYT Program is made up of high-level delegates from the member States, preferably officials from the national science and technology agencies. At its first meeting, the Committee approved a document containing the program content and the bases of financing and organization of the program, which was submitted to the Permanent Council of the OAS in December 1993 and adopted by CIECC in February 1994.

The Committee has adopted a gradual approach to developing the MERCOCYT Program, starting out with pilot projects and other specific cooperation activities to be carried out on a voluntary participation basis, using the existing institutional capacities and with as much operational decentralization as possible.

Starting in February 1994, the Department of Scientific and Technological Affairs of the OAS, as Technical Secretariat of the Program, began organizing meetings and other coordination activities in which specialists from institutions in the Hemisphere that were interested in participating in the MERCOCYT program's activities worked out specific activities to be part of the pilot projects selected by the Committee. At the same time, consultations and coordination have started with government organizations, businesses and financial organizations in the member States and industrialized countries outside the Hemisphere to facilitate execution of those activities.

As the Technical Secretariat of the MERCOCYT Program, the Department has continued to work with other multinational organizations and programs that are collaborating on scientific and technological development in the member States. In addition to the agreement recently concluded with the Bolivar Program, another agreement was concluded with the CYTED Program to collaborate and complement each other's efforts. The CYTED has been active in every stage since the MERCOCYT program's establishment. MERCOCYT was invited to a meeting organized by the Inter-university Development Center (CINDA) on the university/business theme, to identify specific activities that might be carried out jointly.

Initially, the MERCOCYT program has two major projects: a project on Scientific and Technological Integration, for hemispheric integration of scientific and technological knowledge, know-how, capabilities and efforts. This includes contacts between and exchanges of highly qualified human resources, research, graduate-level training and networks of centers of excellence, as well as information, intercommunication and dissemination. The other project is Support for Innovation and is intended to create a systematic innovation-oriented collaborative effort involving academic and technical institutions and businesses and public agencies. This includes support for technological initiative, innovation in small- and medium-size business and modernization of government agencies.

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