Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Daniel Vilmos traveled to the province of Santa Fe to implement an agenda headed by the signing of an agreement to build a center for the transfer of knowledge and technological research in the city of Villa Constitución, with an investment of approximately $4.5 million, within the framework of the “Building Science” program of the Ministry. In General Lagos, Vilmos visited TecnoLagos, a technological educational pole, which received funds from the Ministry of Science for equipment. The minister was accompanied by the head of the All Front bloc in parliament, German Martinez, and the secretary of the Turkish Cyprus Committee in the province of Santa Fe, Marina Baima. The Mayor of Villa Constitution, Jorge Berti, participated in the signing.
After the signing, Vilmos noted that “the effort makes sense for municipalities that have medium- and long-term views.” Our aim in the administration was to put science on its feet after Macricism and to federalize science. Until 2021, 80% of CyT’s budget is allocated to the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The nature of management is marked in the distribution. After two years, 80% of the investment was directed to all governorates, and 20% to CABA only. “This means we can do this kind of work.”
“The question is whether we want to export worthless products or the works of Argentines,” Vilmos stated. Last year, exports from the knowledge economy were worth $7.7 billion, and next year they are expected to exceed $10 billion. And at some point it will happen, as in large countries, where we can have primary production, but exports plus imports are value-added products, providing work for our people. With this center, work will be created for young people in Villa Constitución. “They have the right to study and investigate where they were born.”
On the other hand, the Minister pointed out that CONICET is recognized as the best scientific institution in Latin America according to the SCImago classification due to its scientific production. In this sense, he pointed out that “today the classification of the most important scientific institutions at the global level was published, and CONICET is the first in Latin America. We compete with Brazil and Mexico, two countries that can invest more than us. CONICET, in terms of public institutions in the world, is ranked 14th, and we are talking about European institutions, from the East. In this sense, he mentioned the budget in CyT, which represents 0.34%: “So, what is the need to sell to CONICET. “It is a sign of those who want a country that is a colony, where we buy everything made by those countries that they say they admire, that invest in science and technology,” he concluded, “Argentina has in science a way of converting pesos into dollars, which we need to develop.”
For his part, Baima thanked Vilmos for attending and stressed that the articulation of the three levels of government (nation, province and municipality) shows that when we work together, we can achieve great things such as the Lagos Public Technological Educational Pole and the Knowledge Transfer and Technological Research Center in Villa Constitución.
The center is expected to cover an area of 9,000 square meters and will have areas equipped for training and bringing together various institutions such as INTI, CONICET, Villenses and technology-based companies (such as ANTARES TECHNOLOGY, PLANTIUM, SAHILICES HNOS, among others) with the productive sector, including the sharing of projects with the aim of promoting Activities, research and knowledge transfer; The center will serve as a generator of technological solutions. As the Minister put it, “The center that allows technology transfer, that improves production processes and gives SMEs the possibility of development, is the one that generates the greatest amount of work.”
In General Lagos, during the polo tour, Vilmos thanked the invitation and congratulated the coordination between the various actors, achieving “the result is this building of this size”. At the same time, he highlighted “the educational initiatives they propose.” “An example for the country when we work together.” The minister spoke about the country’s project in a context close to the presidential elections: “Whoever proposes to privatize CONICET, if he does so, will be able to get a lot of money, but without any advance, because scientific and technological development is precisely due to the fact that there is fundamental research that allows Argentina to stand out.” In the fields of space, nuclear and biotechnology, this is what the presence of an organization like CONICET does.
He continued: “We have a month to discuss these issues and there is no room for retreat. There is nothing in CyT long term, nothing for the next day. “If one does not think about the future, it is impossible to have a model of an integrated nation.” In turn, Vilmos pointed out that “everything we invest in education will generate the conditions of a different country, free of poverty, and with dignity. “If we don’t know how to leave the world we dreamed of, we must leave children in a position to build it.”
For his part, Martinez said: “This is possible thanks to the National Science, Technology and Innovation System Financing Act, which guarantees funding for science and technology; As well as companies that benefit from the Knowledge Economy Law, and the Law to Encourage, Development and Production of Modern Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. “For all this that will be discussed in Congress later, specific actors are needed, community presidents, deans, technical teams, areas of science and technology, an organized community,” explained Rep. Martinez, before highlighting the commitment and support of Vilmos and his counterpart in the field of education, Jaime. Perchik.
The General Lagos Municipality began planning for TecnoLagos in 2020, which is in line with the national challenges of the CTI 2030 plan. The center under construction is expected to have an area of 7,000 square metres, and the current training is in technical education at the secondary level.
The meeting was also attended by the Dean of the National University of Rosario (UNR), Franco Bartolacci; Mayor General of Lagos, Esteban Ferry, Principal of Sarah Reti School in Technolagos, Emilia Carletti, and municipal and regional authorities.
At the end of his visit, Vilmos met in Rosario with science and technology researchers from the province.
