Sonora has already reached a critical mass Exchange of information between universities And it will accelerate technological innovation in the company, according to some experts.
Experts also consider the company to have the advantage of being over-connected; Hermosillo is the best incorporated city in Mexico98% of the population owns a smartphone, which will help turn this accumulation of knowledge into advances in innovation.
Also, according to academics, this institution is a center of human talent in the process of training to exploit the opportunities that are opening up globally. However, there is awareness that there is a shortage of resources, as we lack raw materials and trained personnel.
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Concretely, according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, Sonora lost four positions in the innovation sub-index, while Hermosillo ranked 3rd in terms of innovation in economic sectors.
Where we are
In IMCO's 2023 State Competitiveness Index, the innovation sub-index measures the ability of states to compete successfully in the economy, particularly in high-value-added, knowledge-intensive and cutting-edge technology sectors.
The ability to create and use new knowledge is considered, so indicators related to the characteristics of organizations, the environment based on research and development and the creation of patents are included.
A state with more innovative economic sectors attracts more investment, which creates a better training and knowledge generation.
Sonora dropped four positions in the IMCO innovation sub-index, moving from 8th in 2022 to 11th in the 2023 ranking, although it remains moderately competitive.
This index measures the presence of one research center per 100 thousand members of the economically active population, where Sonora ranked 3rd nationally by having 2.2 research centers per 100 thousand members of the economically active population.
It measures patent applications per 100 thousand economically active population, in which Sonora ranks 19th, with only 0.8 patent applications per 100 thousand.
In terms of total factor productivity, Sonora ranks almost 27th in the national table, with annual growth of 2.8% in this area.
And in economic complexity in innovation sectors, Sonora ranks 13th nationally with an index of 70 on a scale of 0 to 100.
It contains 2022 Urban Competitiveness IndexHermosillo ranked 3rd in innovation in economic sectors out of 66 cities with 500 to one million inhabitants.
Among the analyzed indicators, the capital of Sonora ranks third in the number of research centers per 100 thousand economically active population with 4.0. It ranks 7th in the number of large companies with 131.9 companies per million. It ranks 13th for having 9.7 quality postgraduate courses per 100,000 economically active people.
In patent applications, EAP was placed 16th in the group with only 2.7 applications per 100 thousand. And almost at the bottom of the table, in 57th place, Hermosillo has an annual growth in innovation factor productivity of just 0.2.
Economic stimulus
Federico Cirett Galán, Doctor of Computer ScienceResearch Professor University of SonoraIt is now considered that an important body of knowledge developed in the company's universities has been reached.
For this reason, intensive efforts are being made to connect academics and researchers of higher education institutions with companies, to promote the development of innovation work carried out hand in hand with private initiative, which represents an economic stimulus for each region. State.
„We've been isolated for a long time, so the fact that we're now meeting solutions from elsewhere and adding the efforts of researchers with other experiences allows us to create added value in solving companies' problems,” Siret Galen explained.
Simply connecting researchers or students means a change in way of thinking, because things are done differently in each institution and knowing other people's tools or solutions can enrich one's way of solving one's own challenges, he argued.
One of the events that brings together academics is called Advances in Engineering Research in the State of Sonora, which took place on November 10 with the participation of students from the University of Sonora (UNISON), Institute of Technology (ITH) of Hermosillo. Institute of Technology of Sonora (ITSON) and Institute of Technology of Nogales (ITN).
This is an annual symposium to showcase the research progress of postgraduate Masters and Doctoral engineering students, originally from Unison, ITH and ITSON students on this occasion and ITN was brought together. In this event, 9 research results were presented and 42 groups presented their research progress.
The University of Sonora has a master's degree in Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence and one of its innovative projects is the Hermosillo Environmental Monitoring Network (REMA), which is open to the public to monitor pollution levels. in various sectors of the city. The network remotely measures dust, noise and ozone with sensors connected via the Internet, the researcher explained.
Another innovation project in which Cirett Galán participates is the Advanced Electric Transportation and Sustainable Mobility Group led by researcher Alex Covarrubias from the Colegio de Sonora, which seeks to test an electric truck here and another in Cuernavaca. , since they are cities with completely opposite environments, while Hermosillo is flat and dry, Cuernavaca is all slopes and humid. So air quality and environmental conditions should be measured with Remah.
For example, projects working at the University of Sonora include an analysis of Hermosillo's movement to collect real-time information about urban transport units' operating times so that they can design intelligent solutions to problems. Data in hand, he commented.
Another project is to develop a device to measure heart rate remotely in hospitals to centralize patient monitoring in a single location where nurses can see the patient without going to the patient's bedside.
In chemistry and mining, research is being done to find an effective process for lithium, especially for Sonora reserves mixed with clay. And he revealed that it is not just the mineral separation process, but all the logistics needed to exploit the mineral deposits should be developed and implemented.
Economic scale
Unison Research Professor pointed out Master in Internet of Things And this Master of Industrial Engineering Born out of the University of Sonora to help solve the problems of private enterprise.
But – he said – Konazid shifted support to public institutions so that they now devoted themselves to solving national problems.
„What companies do is adapt their research according to the guidelines set by the Council, without losing the need for the support of private initiative, that is, the foundations are mainly society, while helping the companies, without forgetting that the company also helps the community that lives away from what the company does, there is a different approach.
Field of talent
Julia Graciela Preciado Leone, President Department of Technology Management and Connectivity of Hermosillo Institute of TechnologySonora promised to be a center of human talent, so all universities, including ITH, are preparing to introduce and prepare our youth with new technologies, but it is not now, it has been for many years.
At ITN, the institute annually organizes a skill fair called Innovatech, where students participate with innovative ideas in all aspects of life, career and economy, which is known first at the city level and then at the regional level. Sonora has seven technology institutes where faculty encourage students to generate new ideas and innovate on existing technology. The best projects move on to the national competition, where they are measured against projects from around the country. At ITH, two projects won at the national level and even competed at the international level in Japan.
Some of the ideas that came from ITH talent – ATMs using CFE, alarm for ambulances, ultralight aircraft, non-invasive system for diagnosing gastrointestinal problems, clothes made from recyclable materials, a smart chair to assist. A quadriplegic contact person, safety helmets for children with cranial problems, among others.
In these events like Innovatec, entrepreneurs are invited to participate as jurors and many of them observe the ideas and contact the creators of the ideas.
Young people also have access to a business archive at the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) that helps them create their business models and plans and register their ideas.
In the incubator, the idea is developed and multidisciplinary teams are formed, they go through a course to gain knowledge about the business topic, and the best projects try to take them to the final stages of development, including contacting potential investors.
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„I want our young people to come back to see us to get the support they need. The school supports them within its possibilities, but more support is needed from the government. There is support from institutions, but not much resources to ignite the spark for students to progress,” the ITH teacher demanded.
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