VIII MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (COMCYT)

November 14, 2013 - Washington, DC

MR. RUBEN BERROCAL, NATIONAL SECRETARY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION OF PANAMA AND CHAIRMAN OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DISTINGUISHED MINISTERS, HIGH AUTHORITIES ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, HEADS OF DELEGATIONS

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES

PERMANENT OBSERVERS

SHERRY TROSS, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ACADEMIA AND CIVIL SOCIETY

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I am very pleased to welcome you to the Eighth Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCYT).

I am pleased to be among you this morning because this room hopefully holds some of the best brain power in the Americas. If it doesn’t, the future of our region might be in serious trouble.

We are here today to follow up on the commitment of OAS member states to work together towards the development of our region through collective efforts in the areas of innovation; human resources training and education; national quality infrastructure and technological development

We are also here to assess the progress made on the road to Vision 2025, a regional goal focusing on the development of a culture of science-and-technology-based innovation; fostering inclusiveness, entrepreneurship and creative thinking.

Among the objectives of Vision 2025, is the desire to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and technical education by at least 50%, and to substantially improve study programs in these areas to respond to the changing needs of industry.

Vision 2025 also seeks to ensure that all OAS member states have access to internationally recognized quality infrastructure services to foster competitiveness, innovation, trade, and consumer safety.

Finally, Vision 2025 is aimed at strengthening Inter-American cooperation in science, technology and innovation to achieve more effective and faster technological development in the region.

Today, we are meeting to review the progress made on these goals over the past two years. As we conduct our review, we must keep in mind that our work, our progress and our gains hold the best chance of ensuring prosperity and opportunity, for the people, especially the youth, of the Americas. At the same time we need to improve our competitiveness globally.

To be frank, the facts are uncomfortable: the Americas is lagging far behind other regions in terms of investments in research, development and competitiveness. The World Bank says that Japan is investing an average of 3.36% of its gross domestic product in Research and Development; Sweden 3.4% and Germany 2.82%. In sharp contrast, the majority of countries in this hemisphere are investing less than 1%, and in some cases, less than even .1%.

At the same time, the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum (2013-14) says that Latin America and the Caribbean, on average, rank 90th out of 148 countries.

It is against this background that I believe we must work with urgency to ensure greater investments in education programs related to science, technology, engineering, innovation and math. We must act decisively on both the policy level, and on a practical level. If we are to achieve results and accelerate economic growth, our commitment must be reflected both in national budgets and education master plans, as well as in school curriculums and the classroom.

We must invest in our people with special focus on our youth given that 65% of the total population in Latin America and the Caribbean – close to 350 million people are under the age of 35. We must build on the natural tendency of our younger generations to gravitate towards technology. We must channel this talent towards more productive programs and encourage more “out of the box” thinking. We must encourage more questions and critical thinking in the classroom, and pursue more interactive learning and move away from memorization without understanding and analysis.

As a parent myself, living with my two teen-aged daughters I can tell you that the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic are no longer adequate. The aspirations, the characteristics and the moral parameters that drive the next generation of leaders in our societies are quite different from ours. Younger generations are continuing to redefine their way of thinking and acting, today much more defined by technology, and I believe it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we provide a foundation to support and encourage their ability.

Ladies and gentlemen, the future of medicine, manufacturing, business, food production and other key areas, lie in the hands of those who can innovate and create and I believe it is our sacred duty to ensure that we maximize all potential and opportunities before us and provide a solid foundation for generations to come.

Research has shown that our competitiveness, or lack thereof, is often based on weak institutions, poor infrastructure and a low capacity to generate new knowledge and innovative products.


As I close, allow me to reiterate a few key recommendations, to remember in your deliberations:

• As we work to increase regional productivity, bring development to the people, and empower them to find greater opportunities while fighting poverty we must keep in mind that NO modern economy can compete successfully in the global market without sufficient investment in their work force. Our countries must renew efforts to increase targeted investments in educational programs related to technology, engineering, skills training, and innovation. This must be reflected in our national budgets.

• We need to mobilize all resources and expertise at a national and regional level, with a special focus on public private partnerships with academia, the private sector, governments and legislative authorities.

• We need to continue strengthening intra- and inter-regional cooperation and COMCYT plays a critical role in fostering this environment. We need to strengthen existing alliances at the hemispheric level and continue building partnerships in an effort to pool scientific and technological resources.

• We need to promote equality in accessing quality infrastructure and services to foster competitiveness, innovation and trade.


• And finally, we must support the youth of the Americas as future leaders and captains of industry by designing special programs and policies.

Ladies and gentlemen, the OAS is committed to these goals. We will continue to offer support, source expertise and bring stakeholders together, as we work with you, in the best interest of the hemisphere. I am pleased to note that next year’s Americas Competitiveness Forum, will be hosted by Trinidad and Tobago and will focus on what constitutes the origin of knowledge: the power of imagination !

As I close, I want to share a little detail which I find interesting: One of the most successful entertainment programs currently on television, is about a group of scientists in The Big Bang Theory. The success of this show, to me, has shown one thing: the story lines of science, CAN be successful. Let us not underestimate the power and the value of science and technology, the power of imagination and curiosity, the power of questioning and asking why and how. We have the potential. Let us tap into it and build solid foundations for sustainable growth and development.

I thank you and wish you a most productive meeting.