The event was organized by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONICET), with the participation of its President Ana Franchi, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MINCyT) led by Daniel Filimus and the Ministry of Interior Vado. De Pedro, together with representatives of more than 20 companies from the automotive, metallurgical, wine, agro-industrial, food and health industries, highlighted the impact of innovation and growth to improve the future in Argentina, at the Science Culture Center. Personal integration.
Ana Franchi, President of CONICET, highlighted the meeting and described various developments and collaborations from scientific fields with various industrial sectors, as well as shared successful experiences of the 56 Technology-Based Companies (EBT) currently in the Council. , where researchers are stakeholders; As in the case of DETx MOL SA, which developed the first commercial IVD kit for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and made it possible to replace imports, contributes to national sovereignty on important issues in public health and generates, in addition, foreign currency income for the country and Argentina. He also highlighted the development of science in NEOKIT products: „rapid molecular tests for the detection of infectious agents” that do not require complex equipment and can be used in any primary health center or department, NEOKIT was developed by EBT researchers. CONICET and the Cassará Foundation demonstrate the importance of public-private integration, which has been greatly deepened by the organization in recent years.
„CONICET creates scientific knowledge, research and licenses technologies to companies and industry, and through this virtuous relationship between public-private, products are scaled, improved and put on the market, to reach society, the Council is the kickstart to create. Advances and innovations. Other ways we interact with the private sector We have high-end technology services that allow companies to access some technology through equipment or human resources, some knowledge and services, and last year we had 15 thousand services, and more than half of them were for SMEs,” Branchi said.
And he continued: „We continue to work with EBT KECLON, which together with Molinos Rio de La Plata exports enzymes for the oil industry worldwide. This company proposes innovative biotechnological solutions that improve industrial performance and improve the environment; „From BIOCERES, we bring genetics to the international market. We have started marketing the modified wheat, Hb4 seed, which is drought resistant,” said a top official of CONICET.
For his part, Minister of Science, Daniel Filmus, said, „There is no possibility of development in our country – which allows distribution of benefits to all – except for support for science and technology. There is no country in the world that has achieved balanced growth and population integration without the contribution of science and technology and universities. Privatization of science and technology Detractors point to a country that invests heavily in science and technology precisely as a model of a country where public investment must be capable of creating the conditions to attract private investment.
Next, Filmus referred to „a set of laws, such as the financing of the scientific-technical system and the knowledge economy, which were unanimously approved, which paved the way for science and technology to be a state policy in our country.” .
The meeting allowed us to highlight unique agreements in Latin America, such as GSK, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, which led to the development of monoclonals in collaboration with experts from the Institute of Biological and Experimental Medicine (IBYME, CONICET). Antibody for oncology therapy. , the result of a long-term collaboration between the Argentine state and the initiative Faith in science. „The power of national science to promote the development of a country makes us more sovereign, and the emphasis is on public education, because companies can count on highly qualified human resources who have studied at public universities and worked at CONICET,” concluded Ana. Branchi.
For his part, Wado de Pedro expressed: „We need more leading entrepreneurs to give more certainty to the production matrix. Part of the solutions for the future of Argentina is related to the creation of a program of national unity. The Minister of the Interior said, „The way is to agree on a production model of development that includes federalism” and „a better one that includes all of us. „It’s time to think about Argentina and work on the best deals.”
„CONICET understands technological connectivity as a great tool to transform ideas and knowledge into actions that allow the development of our country,” added Laura Correa, the representative of industry on the Board of Directors of the Council, „The combination of science and industry is allowed. We position ourselves around the world as producers of elements that have allowed us to face the global health crisis. Argentina 12 It is one of the vaccine producing countries, technologically it is the best positioned in the world and has industries that allow this development. I want to leave you today as a representative of CONICET where we do science and science, we have a vision to turn science into value and work to improve technical linkages with industry for the development of the country. .”
In this framework, CONICET Technology Link Management, led by Sergio Romano, highlights the possibility of creating added value and knowledge so that manufacturers, SMEs, cooperatives and industries can absorb technology, contents and them. Can be further improved. It is necessary to create connecting processes related to local production and reality and respond to social demands from scientific knowledge.
Participating in the launch was Paula Español, Undersecretary of Policy for Development with Regional Equity at the Ministry of the Interior; Undersecretary for Institutional Integration of MINCyT, Pablo Nunes.
Finally, the completion was in charge of Daniel Herrero (Toyota); Jose Zuccardi (ZUCCARDI Family); Gustavo Grobocopatal (Los Grobo); and Maria Laura Correa (CONICET Board of Directors).
Companies committed to innovation and scientific development
The meeting continued with two panels dedicated to technological innovation and public-private integration. The first panel consisted of Sandra Cipolla (SPI), who shared the crisis in the Navy in the 90s. Likewise, the stands were improved and increased in cooperation with INTI, which allowed the construction of a third vessel at present. Shipyard, thanks to public-private integration.
Nicolas Creus (TERRAGENE) argued the importance of innovation to generate international growth, and along these lines, macroeconomic stability is important for science and technology, a tool of change due to the quality of qualified human resources. For his part, Ignacio Noel (h) (MORIXE) shared how his family went from a flour mill to the oldest food company in Argentina and Mercosur and developed fortified flours that improve nutritional value with INTA and INTI. Wheat flour. Fernando Schabachnik, Executive Director of the Sadosky Foundation, shared the importance of the connection between companies and research groups for the development of R&D projects in software and computer services.
In the second panel, Diego Buranello (DANONE) presented, who shared his experience of combining probiotics from CERELLA-CONICET to provide health from food. For his part, Inés Gerbaudo (GERBAUDO) shared the developments of the metallurgical company that allowed his family to grow into an industrial leader, and Tomi Karagozian (TN&Platex) recognized himself as an industrial activist and part of the generation that inspires Argentina. Technological progress and open door national industries. Likewise, Andreas Victorovitz (BIOINNOVO), CONICET researcher and entrepreneur, reported on the development of innovative products for the agricultural sector.
Finally, INTA’s Vice President Nasira Muñoz and National Meteorological Service Director Celeste Salo shared policies aimed at innovation in each of the public organizations they lead. The intensive development of knowledge and the effort of researchers to adapt to the social-production sector and its needs, the scientific knowledge created in public, expressed with a country, nation and social project, represents a challenge and a commitment.
