Critical Factors toward Successful R & D Projects in Public Research Centers: a Primer

 

A. Barragán-Ocaña*¹, J. Zubieta-García²

 

¹ Centro Universitario UAEM Valle de Chalco Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México Estado de México., México. *abarragano@uaemex.mx.

² Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México, D. F., México.

 

ABSTRACT

Mexican Public Research Centers (PRCs) have become one of the most important actors in technology development for most enterprises they interact with. Nevertheless, knowledge generated and accumulated by PRCs is being underutilized or not utilized at all in the advance of new projects to benefit productive sectors. In this paper we review a number of variables to pinpoint factors that either promote or hinder successful R & D projects; i.e. those transferred to the industry. We conclude that it is feasible to design policies to boost positive factors while preventing or reducing the impact of the negative ones.

Keywords: Public Research Centers, management of R & D projects, successful R & D projects, knowledge transference.

 

RESUMEN

Los Centros Públicos de Investigación (CPI) mexicanos se han convertido en uno de los actores más importantes en el desarrollo tecnológico de numerosas empresas. Sin embargo, el conocimiento generado y acumulado por los CPI está siendo subutilizado o no utilizado del todo en el diseño de nuevos proyectos que podrían beneficiar al sector productivo. En este artículo analizamos una serie de variables con el propósito de identificar los factores que promueven u obstaculizan la transferencia de proyectos de I+D a la industria. Se concluye que es posible diseñar políticas que fomenten la acción de factores positivos al tiempo que prevengan o eviten el impacto de los negativos.

 

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based on the doctoral research [32] conducted as a requirement for a PhD Degree in Systems Engineering (Planning) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The study would not have been possible without the technical support of UNAM's Social Research Institute (IISUNAM), the economic support from the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), the Office of Graduate Studies at UNAM, the help arising from Project PAPIIT IN 302208 "Education, science, technology and innovation for the development", which is conducted at the Institute for Applied Mathematics and Systems Research (IIMAS-UNAM).

 

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