The President of the R&D Agency, Fernando Peiranocarried out a mission in the United States last week with the aim position exports based on knowledge and technological servicesin which “Argentina has great potential”.
The activity, which included meetings with the World Bank and with risk capital companies, was organized by Ambassador Jorge Argüello and the Consul in New York, Santiago Villalba.
The objective of the visit was to position Argentina’s science, technology and knowledge-based services in the US.
“There is a consensus that the relationship between Argentina and the United States cannot continue to focus solely on financial issues and that the role in which the country is positioned as an exporter of energy, food and minerals is important but does not reach. We have come to position exports based on knowledge and technological services, in which Argentina has great potential,” Peirano told Télam.
Today in Washington ??, I participated in the seminar organized by the Argentina Delivers initiative.
Through this new portal the world can access the best of our technological offer.??
?https://t.co/rD7RzWkbKA pic.twitter.com/nah2He3scg
– Fernando Peirano ? (@ferpeirano) October 26, 2022
Currently, Argentina exports 7,500 million dollars in services based on knowledge and the US represents 50% of the total exported.
Last week, the platform was launched in the US “Argentina Delivers” that will help connect small and medium-sized companies in the country with clients in the North American market.
“The expectation is also to diversify the offer, not to focus on outsourcing but also to promote the audiovisual, cultural, space and scientific-technological sectors“said the official.
Within the framework of the mission, Peirano also met with World Bank officials to launch a new financing line for 280 million dollars that will help the Agency to expand and diversify the current financing tools to articulate the scientific system with the productive one. .
The plan consists of working with the World Bank to create a Venture Capital system (risk capital) to close the gaps between basic research and the development of products and technologies.
?New Jersey??
At Rutgers University I visited Fernando Muzzio and his team. This group of researchers developed an original continuous drug manufacturing process that changed the international standard and they are excited to share it with the Argentine industry. pic.twitter.com/GmNlA6dUc4
– Fernando Peirano ? (@ferpeirano) October 30, 2022
“We will work with science and technology institutions and regulatory bodies (ANMAT, SENASA, etc.) to generate new protocols that encourage and facilitate the realization of new technologies and processes. We work to increase the budget, human resources and reform R&D institutions. In the framework of cooperation with the World Bank, ‘Tecnotecas’ will also be created to promote projects of social innovation and inclusion”, explained Peirano.
In New York, the President of the Agency, visited the headquarters of the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (Lavca), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the growth of private capital in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Lavca’s membership is made up of almost 200 firms, which control assets of more than US$65 billion, destined to capitalize and grow Latin American companies.
“We plan to work together with Lavca not only in the promotion of financing but also in the concept of “Smart Capital” (intelligent capital) that implies the accompaniment and training of researchers and companies in the process from the moment an idea is transformed into a technology or service, in its commercialization, legal advice and export. This is crucial learning since our scientists do not have this profile,” said Peirano.
The official also held a meeting with representatives of the Raíces program, with whom he discussed the institutional transformations of the Agency in the context of the recovery of science and technology policies carried out in our country and under the guidelines of Minister Daniel Filmus.
The researchers invited to deepen the links between the Argentine and North American systemsfor example through complementary instruments between the National Science Foundation and the I+D+i Agency.
“We are connecting with young scientists who are training in the US so that they can return to the country and with outstanding Argentine scientists in the US so that they can contribute to the country’s system. We want to work together not only on scientific issues but also to help us evaluate technological projects,” said the official.
“In this context of so much international uncertainty and common global problems, another of the strategic sectors is to promote the social sciences, we have to build new futures,” he added.
“This government has recovered the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation that had been reduced to a secretariat in the government of Mauricio Macri. We have approved important laws such as the Financing of the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation that will bring the of the GDP for investment in the sector, the Knowledge Economy Law, the Law for the Promotion of Bio and Nanotechnology, and the 2030 Plan for science and technology has already been passed,” Peirano stressed.
“The macrismo reduced the MINCyT to a Secretariat and defunded the sector. In the US it is very clear that economic development and world leadership is settled in the field of technology and innovation,” the official remarked.
“We continue betting on Argentine technology, we know that political ups and downs have made the process difficult, but we are working with regulations, financing and improving the transformation channels from basic science to technological products and services, we need them to replicate the successful experience of the Invap in different areas, we need 10 Invaps”, concluded Peirano.
