Research and Development in Mexico

Introduction

Mexicos situation referring on R & D its been a subject settled on the table several times, since its a matter of big importance for the economic development inside the country, most enterprises need to invest in order to have better results when it comes on competitiveness, but for leading in such results its important to understand how it works, how much time it takes and what are the efforts that society and government need to take as unit to make it happen.

R&D The definition for R & D its the creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge to use it in new applications, for such concept to be happening theres got to be a clear fact about it, which must be seen as an investment rather than an expense, its often used due to the fact of the changes in industry, although it couldnt be considered as a crucial factor in the survival of a company in a short term, for such matter to happen it would need to have strategic alliances, and networks, to tap into the innovation of others. As it happens in other developed countries, R & D runs in charge of a specialized unit which belongs to a company, a university or state agency, its measured on the budget its destined to, number of patents, or publications. As its believed, a company that belongs to an industrial segment, would invest 3.5 % of its profits on R & D, on the other hand one that belongs to technology segment would invest 7 %, resulting in a 40 % revenues for industrial companies and in cases such as pharmaceutical companies as Merck & Co. or Novartis, (whose ratio is 14.1 % and 15.1 % respectively), can increase their revenues up to 60 % to 90 %.

R & D around the world According to OECD, Mxico is the country which invests the least on R & D (about 0.4 % of its Gross Domestic Product), while developed countries such as Japan, Korea or Switzerland destiny 3.4% average, China serves as a clear example of how better results are obtained as an effect of R & D investment, by surpassing Japan and United States on number of patent filings, as well by increasing their numbers of published articles up to 120,000 on 2011, these results come from

training scientists and engineers, supporting private research, and doing an investment of 1.5 % on R & D by 2007.

Conception on Mexican society Believed to be as an option to obtain a larger percentage on revenues, most enterprises have trouble or simply dismiss the idea on R & D investment, due to the fact that its perceived mostly as an expense, if we count with the fact that 80 % of SMEs end-up their activities within a range of 5 years, and 90 % wont surpass a 10 year long term, its clear that one of the biggest troubles these enterprises is dealing with, comes as a result of underestimating a good planning of their services and the production, as well the introduction of developments within this services or products, merely due to the acknowledge this applications will bring-up.

Biosafety rules According to an article developed by Science magazine on 2002, research on transgenic corn could be considered a crime for which scientists could suffer of imprison, such matter to happen gives us a clear view of how undeveloped our country in legislation is found, even more actually its been on development a new law (Monsanto Law) in which its going to be prohibited the use of patented transgenic corn, turning into the loss of sovereignty above corn crops, despite the fact that Mexico is the actual center of origin of corn itself.

College and education UNAM, Chapingo, ITAM among other universities, are one of the most important sources of public information, while UNAM does respectively on several specialties in science, Chapingo focuses into crop related subjects and ITAM for public policies, private and public universities do have the capacity to create much more valuable information when the time comes to improve on Mexican population, most of this research has given relative changes in benefit of us, but in order to create an out-standing performance, cooperation from local government coordinated with more public and private universities, is needed. UNAM on its last review of accepted students, turned out to only have accepted 10 % of total requisitions to have access for upper secondary education, while the cost of a private education is in average $ 1,200.00 US per month, due to the fact that mostly 50 % of population lives in poverty and 30 % has monthly incomes of $ 1,000.00 US or less, its practically impossible to develop

researchers, scientists, or even graduates for the simple fact that education is not well displayed for the biggest percentage of population, such problem does not originates of a budget deficit from the local government but from an inadequate administration of the educational system.

Understanding the main problematic that affects R & D yields clarity about the context and principal characters that compose the scenario, while most efforts are wasted in criticizing government actions, and fastened by social networks, that as well works against presidential candidates, slowing down and recapture the essence of this tools should be a convenient move that could count in favor of us, R & D should be applied not only because its a sustainable source, but because it can also generate employments, create competitiveness for international market, and set pressure on solving access educational problems.

When educational system and R & D cross paths, triggers the ideal moment to schedule pressing ideas in collective thought, investment instead of useless costs, well managed educational system rather than budget deficit, the control of such matters comes when the people join their voices in a crucial moment, and its our responsibility to turn those necessities in our votes, and most important to bring discussion since its in our hands the path that Mexican society is willing to take.