PROJECT FOLLOW-UP MEETING: CSUCA-IDRC; SENACYT-CDS-IDRC

Central America, November 6, 2023

With the purpose of supporting collaborative research in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), today a follow-up meeting was held on the projects "Strengthening inclusive science and innovation systems in Latin America through a collaborative research network?" , led by the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA) and ?Central American Policy for open CTI and mechanisms to measure its impact on society? led by the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) of Panama and the City of Knowledge Foundation of Panama (CDS), both streams financed by the International Development Research Center -IDRC- of Canada.

Both projects are executed in coordination with the National Science Councils of the countries of the region and support capacity-building activities that allow the Councils and regional science coordination bodies to effectively fulfill their mandates and improve national systems. and regional science, technology and research (CTI).

The activity was inaugurated by Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA, who pointed out: "These projects strengthen the region in research and innovation issues, with a gender focus, this being a fundamental issue that must be implemented in the development of each one." of the proyects?.

The meeting included the presentation of the status of both projects, by their coordinators Carlos Aguirre and Yen Caballero, as well as the presentation of the study on inclusive innovation with gender equity by Kemly Camacho, consultant of the project led by CSUCA.

It should be noted that on the part of the CSUCA-IDRC project, in February 2023, the public call for the presentation of project proposals was enabled, a call in which 73 proposals were received, 16 of which were selected for execution, which will have an execution duration of 22 months, with said designers as the main guests for the development of this meeting.  

It should be noted that the 16 projects to be developed are designed under the following thematic axes:

·         Territoriality, risk and local development,

·         Economic growth, productivity, competitiveness and sustainable development,

·         Digital transformation, automation, artificial intelligence and

·         Data science, and climate change and environmental management.

With the purpose of strengthening the innovation-inclusion nexus in the Central American region, in its two complementary aspects: Innovation for inclusion when the focus is on the results of the process; and inclusive innovation when it refers to a participatory process through which innovation emerges.