Jorge Durán, Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI) Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT) Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI) - Activity Report Seventh Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology Padilha Vidal Room Washington, D.C. - October 18-19, 2012.

PLAN OF ACTION OF PANAMA CONTEXT: The Plan of Action of Panamá was adopted at the Third Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology of the Hemisphere (Panama, November 2011). MAIN OBJECTIVES: Help increase the competitiveness of the productive sector, especially in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the use of science and technology; Take concrete actions and adopt tangible objectives that have a broad impact on the production system, with emphasis on MSMEs; Create open Working Groups that bring together governments, universities, international organizations and civil society to debate on issues related to competitiveness, science and technology. Activities of the OSTI structured within the Plan of Action of Panama to promote both the political dialogue and concrete actions.

4 Strategic Pillars InnovationHumanResourcesNationalQualityInfrastructure TechnologicalDevelopment Productivity Prosperity Competitiveness

Innovation: Innovation: Create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation to help improve productivity and competitiveness in the hemisphere. Human Resources Training and Education: Human Resources Training and Education: Increase the number of trainings for human resources in the fields of science and engineering as well as in technical disciplines to increase productivity and competitiveness at national and regional levels. National Quality Infrastructure: Improve productivity and competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), increase trade and strengthen consumer protection. Technological Development Technological Development: Promote scientific and technological progress for prosperity in strategic sectors by strengthening Inter- American cooperation, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). THE 4 PILLARS OF THE PLAN

WORKING GROUP 1: Innovation - Capacity building for the development of clusters, technology parks, technology transfer organizations, incubators and spin-offs for MSMEs. WORKING GROUP 2: Human Resources Training and Education - Empower EftA. Strengthen extension services and technology transfer to communities and industry, especially for MSMEs. WORKING GROUP 3: National Quality Infrastructure - Support the development of programs that foster a culture of social responsibility for MSMEs and other production units. WORKING GROUP 4: Technological Development - Cooperation efforts to promote the development of MSMEs in the fields of biotechnology, clean and renewable energy and nanotechnology, and promote energy efficiency and clean production. WORKING GROUPS OSTI fosters the political dialogue as the Technical Secretariat of the Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUPS MÉXICO COSTA RICA ECUADOR PERU REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA URUGUAY BARBADOS PARAGUAY EL SALVADOR ARTCA I-CHASS NCSA UPB CANADÁ PANAMA ESTADOS UNIDOS MÉXICO PERÚ COLOMBIA COSTA RICA SISTEMA INTERAMERICANO DE METROLOGÍA ARTCA IAAC COPANT INTER-AMERICAN METROLOGY SYSTEM COLOMBIA ECUADOR ARGENTINA HONDURAS REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA NICARAGUA GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR ARTCA I-CHASS NCSA ARGENTINA COLOMBIA MÉXICO NICARAGUA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PARAGUAY GUATEMALA COSTA RICA ARTCA I-CHASS NCSA IRF LACCEI UPADI / API INNOVATION HUMAN RESOURCES TRAINING AND EDUCATION NATIONAL QUALITY INFRASTRICTURE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT Partners. API, ARTCA, COPANT, EftA, I-CHASS, IRF, LACCEI, NCSA, SIM, UPADI, UPB, U. of illinois

NCSA (National Center for Supercomputer Applications); I-CHASS (Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences) for WG 1, 2 and 4  Dicussion on Innovation Indicators, based on regional studies on OECD Innovation Policies developed by Mexico;  Sharing Innovation Indicators for Technology Companies - Paraguay;  Sharing of National Innovation Plan – Peru  Agreed to hold a Seminar on Specific Proposals of Collaboration in Innovation for members of the Working Group 1 in Lima, in the first half of WG 1 – INNOVATION Support from: 2 Videoconferences held in March and September, main results:

 Conceptual Document - MINCYT Argentina and Confederation of Engineering Deans of the country, focused on engineering education with recommendations;  “Talento Joven” (Young Talent) Web site to promote STI in highschool students in Costa Rica is available to all interested countries. WG 2 – HUMAN RESOURCES TRAINING AND EDUCATION 1 Videoconference held in June: Strategic Partners: API (Pan-American Academy of Engineers); UPADI (Pan-American Union of Engineers); LACCEI (Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Engineering Institutions); IRF (International Road Federation); Collaboration agreements signed with: University of illinois; Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia; National University in San Diego.

WG 2 – HUMAN RESOURCES TRAINING AND EDUCATION In support of this Pillar, Mexico’s CONACYT is donating scholarships to the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation for students from the Americas to study in Mexico their Graduate Degrees (Masters and Doctorates) in Engineering and sciences. Events in the context of EftA: Partner: Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), events: –IFEES-EftA Encounter –OAS Accreditation Workshop –OAS EftA Industrial Engineering initiative (DELPHI). EftA (Engineering for the Americas Study: “Comparative Analysis of Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Programs in OAS Member States ” (Financial Support from I-CHASS and work conducted by the Universidad Pontifícia Bolivariana – Colombia). Study distributed to all countries

* This Working Group operates under of Dr. Alan Steele from Canada without coordination or communications with OSTI as Technical Secretariat for the Plan of Action  Technical Cooperation in Metrology “Basic Basket” with the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank). Agreement with the PTB - Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt of Germany  “Quality Infrastructure Services for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Trilateral Coopperation in Natural Gas Metrology in Latin America (PTB, CENAM Mexico, INMETRO Brasil, Bolivia);  Consolidation of Local Structures for the Application of Quality Criteria in the Environment and Food Sector in Latin America (SIM / IAAC)  OSTI Provides Support for the General Assembly of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM ). WG 3 – NATIONAL QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE* Projects and initiatives of the OAS Office of Science, Technology and Innovation:

WG 4 – TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IRU (Road Transport Union); Study: “International Auto-Transport Study in Mexico” (The study was presented by the Executive Secretary of SEDI at the IRU General Assembly in Geneva in April); Alliance with ICHASS to stimulate and spur initiatives; Agreement with RedCLARA (Latin-American Cooperation of Advanced Networks) under development. Main Projects:

WG 4 – TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT  Seminar on specific proposals of Technological Development Cooperation for the Working Group No. 4 “Technological Development”, held in September in Bogotá, Colombia (OSTI + COLCIENCIAS);  Participants: Argentina, Colombia (COLCIENCIAS), Ecuador, Guatemala, I- CHASS, Nicaragua and Panamá;  Support from OAS-ARTCA and I-CHASS to the participants. 3 Videoconferences held in March, June and September: RESULT: Proposal to develop a Network for Innovation in Agro-industrial SMEs (REIPAGRO).

*Part of Working Groups number 1 (Innovation), 2 (Human Resources Training and Education) and 4 (Technological Development). OAS-ARTCA is the result of a Strategic Alliance among CRUSA (Costa Rica- United States Foundation for Cooperation), ICHASS and the Office of Science, technology and Innovation of the OAS; Objective: Create spaces for learning and discovery via digital media, presents innovative computing solution, resources, tools and educational programs, becoming an example of the future of collaborative research in the service of society across the Hemisphere; Obtained Grants from NSF for: Pan-American Summer Institute (PASI), Guatemala 2013; Radical Innovatin Summit, Spring 2013; In the pipeline for Execution: Technology Immersion Program for Executives; One Million Hours of Supercomputing; Lecture Series of the Americas. OAS – ARTCA (Advanced Research and Technology Collaboratory for the Americas)*

Jorge Durán, Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI) Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT) THANK YOU