At Universidad Panamericana, we know that ideas and research, despite being intangible, can potentially be valuable and helpful to society. The Conference on a Culture of Industrial Property and Innovation was held at each of our campuses (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Aguascalientes) with this in mind.
Authorities from each of our university’s campuses and public officials from the three cities attended the event, as well as business leaders from Mexico, including José Miguel Bejarano, Innovation Lead at Siemens Energy Mexico; Ramón González Figueroa, Director of the Tequila Regulatory Council; and Guy Jean Savoir, President of the Innovation Science for Business Development Foundation (Innovación Ciencia para el Desarrollo Empresarial, INCIDE).
Promoting a culture of industrial property
During the conference launch, Dr. Abraham Mendoza Andrade, Panamericana’s Vice Rector for Research, explained that “the format of these conferences is similar across the three campuses because we aim to foster a culture of industrial property in general. Promoting this is essential to bringing everything we develop as an institution through research closer to the realities and challenges faced by related industries.”
Dr. Claudia Ortega, Research Director at the Mexico City campus, noted that the conference aims “to improve the timely identification and implementation of research findings by identifying projects with potential for transfer and connecting researchers with the public, social, and private sectors.”
In turn, Dr. Francisco Medina Gomez, Director General of the Jalisco State Council of Science and Technology, said that“Intellectual activity is the foundation of the state’s and the country’s economic growth and development. The efforts of the Universidad Panamericana’s are worthy of recognition, even at the national level. Together, academia, the government, and the business community must support the development of talent.”
Promoting Transformation
Afterward, Dr. Guillermo José Aguirre Esponda, President of the Mexican Association of Managers of Applied Research and Technological Development, praised Panamericana’s commitment to meeting the challenge of transforming inventions into useful products and having the necessary resources to successfully navigate the so-called “valley of death,” which lies between pre-competitive technologies in their early stages and the feasibility testing required by the industry.
Manuel Alejandro González Martínez, Secretary of Economic Development, Science, Technology, and Innovation for Aguascalientes, praised the conference and said that “…innovation in the academic and scientific sectors is the first step toward economic growth, but without its commercialization, it cannot be called innovation.”
Innovation, Competitiveness, and Growth
During the event, the panel "Industrial Property as a Factor in Innovation, Competitiveness, and Growth for the Future of the Mexican Economy" took place at the three venues and was moderated by Dr. Juan Alberto González Piñón, UP Corporate Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer.
Dr. Piñón stated,“We must take ownership of the knowledge we generate at our university. Otherwise, someone else will take it. And not only that, but they will profit from that knowledge.” For this reason, he urged those present to “start believing in the creative capacity of Panamericana researchers to produce new science.”
Promoting Intellectual Property
The need to promote intellectual property was repeatedly mentioned during this panel discussion because, in general, our country lacks the expertise to know what to do once scientific knowledge has been developed, both in educational and research institutions.
“University professors need to know how to define and identify the novelty of their work and research findings, as well as when they can be patented,” said Dr. Mendoza at the Aguascalientes campus when asked if the country’s universities are lagging behind in this regard.
Social Impact
Larisa Cruz Ornelas, General Director of Science and Technological Development at SICyT, noted that,“The efforts of universities and research centers in the State of Jalisco to promote scientific activity, innovation, and patenting are now a constant, which demonstrates the interest of these knowledge-generating entities in having a positive impact on society and the market.”
Mario Rodríguez Montero, Deputy Director General of IMPI, stated that “Advances in scientific knowledge produce results that give rise to inventions and intellectual creations which, through innovation, help solve socioeconomic and environmental problems, thereby having a positive impact on improving people’s well-being. That is why Universidad Panamericana’s commitment today is a great achievement.”
Through these types of activities, Panamericana demonstrates its commitment to promoting a culture of industrial property, while also providing socially relevant and reliable information so that various stakeholders (especially entrepreneurs and investors) can carry out their professional activities with confidence, knowing that their ideas and innovation processes are protected.
