Enter el 3 y el 5 de April el Ministro de Ciencia, Technología e Innovación, Daniel Filmus, y el asesor special del Ministerio de Ciencia, Guillermo Salvatierra, llevaron adelante una nutrida agenda de actividades en el marco de la visita official in Canada ya los United State. The delegation’s tour started in the Canadian city of Toronto, where they visited LATAM Startups and later the Ontario Center for Innovation (OCI).
At the LATAM Startups Incubator and Accelerator, Miriam Lazart, CEO of the company, and Claudia Krewiak, CEO of OCI, were introduced. In addition, Argentine startup RDITS, led by its Country Director, Andres Paez; and Peruvian Rixti, by Matthias Maciel, Country Director.
In the afternoon, there was a visit to the Barrett Center for Technological Innovation, an innovation center of Humber College, mainly dedicated to issues related to automation and robotics, systems integration, design, augmented reality and user experience testing, among others. Located in Toronto, on the grounds of Humber College’s North Campus, the Barrett Center for Technology Innovation is designed to be an engine for technological innovation. The facilities tour was led by Timo Moore, Studies House Project Manager.
The day ended with a meeting with Argentine scholars at the Argentine Consulate in Toronto, in which the Argentine Consul Gustavo Infante and almost the Academic Coordinator of the RAICES Program, Carolina Mera, participated. The meeting was moderated by Jorge Armoni, Scientific Coordinator of the Network of Argentine Scientists in Canada.
American agenda
Having moved to Washington, D.C., United States, Minister Wilmos participated in the 2023 First Plenary Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Coordinators of the RAICES Networks, with representatives from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Spain, the United States, France, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland. Among the topics discussed, he highlighted the renewal of the program’s advisory committee and the formation of new networks for this year.
After that, Filmos met with Argentine scientists. The meeting was moderated by the Scientific Coordinator of the Network of Argentine Scientists in the Northeastern United States, Dr. Horacio J. Rootstein. Among the points discussed were the interests and possibilities of institutionalizing the already established collaboration between researchers, who already maintain smooth communication with each other. Also participating in both meetings of the RAICES Program in the United States, Carolina Mera, Ambassador of Argentina to the United States of America, Jorge Arguello; and the powers of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Wednesday the 5th, Filmos met with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who confirmed that he would visit the headquarters of the National Committee for Space Activities (CONAE) in Cordoba and INVAP in Bariloche, in order to resume work. Historic space cooperation and the signing of a new phase of joint action that strengthens the Argentine space plan.
It should be noted that during the last official mission to Washington in March 2022, a meeting was held with NASA authorities where they discussed the possibility of deepening cooperation in the space sector on issues such as satellite observation missions. the possibility of NASA’s participation in CONAE’s SABIAMar mission and future missions; In terms of Earth remote sensing data, and with consideration to CONAE’s SAOCOM mission and NASA/ISRO’s NISAR mission, explore collaboration in the use and application of data and in calibration and validation activities for search and rescue missions.
The possibility of CONAE collaborating with NASA missions (eg, Artemis) and implementing joint education and outreach programs has also been explored. Space research is one of the priority issues on the bilateral agenda in science, technology and innovation, which is why talks have been resumed with NASA to strengthen working relations through CONAE, which will allow the technological capabilities of the two countries to be strengthened together.
In this regard, Filmos emphasized: “Cooperation with NASA is strategic for the advancement of satellite development. It is necessary to strengthen CONAE’s close relationship with the United States in the design and delivery of satellites into space.” Likewise, the Minister noted that “Argentina’s leadership is with Mexico in the formation of the Space Agency for Latin America, as well as in the development of a meteorological satellite for the region.”
Another highlight on the agenda is meeting with Director of the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and Assistant to President Joe Biden, Dr. Arati Prabhakar. The venue was the White House, and there Filmos gave a brief presentation of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan 2030 and cooperation possibilities were discussed at the focal points of both countries.
Topics covered were, among others, research in ocean and marine sciences (in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA); biotechnology and health research; ip power transition; and research in space sciences.
The agenda of the mission ended with a discussion of “Science, Technology and Development in Argentina: Opportunities and Challenges”, which took place at Johns Hopkins University.
