Jalisco’s Rise in Competitiveness Index
Guadalajara, Jalisco. Innovation, science, and technology have significantly increased Jalisco’s competitiveness, as evidenced by the state’s six-position leap in the recently published Index of State Competitiveness (ICE) by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO). According to El Economista, Larisa Cruz Ornelas, the General Director of Science and Development Technology at the Secretariat of Innovation, Science, and Technology (SICYTECH), shared this information.
“The competitiveness index does not solely consider factors like investment or job creation,” Cruz Ornelas explained. “The IMCO has a sub-index called Innovation and Economy, and the indicators that are crucial for state competitiveness include the number of patents per million inhabitants and researchers.”
“When a state promotes science, technological development, and innovation, the results are reflected in competitiveness indicators,” she emphasized. “We have moved up in the rankings, and if we look at the Innovation and Competitiveness sub-index, it consistently highlights the top and bottom states. Jalisco is the best state in terms of innovation patent results.”
“By fostering science and technological development, we also boost competitiveness in productive sectors,” Cruz Ornelas added. “For instance, if someone develops a solution in agriculture to replace biopesticides with biotechnology for pest control, they help businesses create competitive products without harming the land or themselves.”
XXIV Edition of the State Innovation, Science, and Technology Award
To recognize the scientific and technological community, Cruz Ornelas announced that the nominations are open for the XXIV edition of the State Innovation, Science, and Technology Award (PEICyT), considered the most important recognition instrument for this community.
“This award motivates researchers by acknowledging their efforts in generating, applying, or disseminating new knowledge,” she said. “It also encourages institutions to support their researchers and helps communicate the scientific community’s contributions to Jalisco society.”
This year, the award features eight categories: Trayectoria (for outstanding contributions in innovation, science, and technology for at least 20 years), Innovación (innovation), Tecnología (technology), Ciencia (science), Divulgación de la ciencia (science dissemination), Tesis de doctorado (doctoral thesis), Tesis de maestría e Investigación temprana (master’s thesis and early research). The total prize money across all categories exceeds one million pesos.
Eligible participants must be Jalisco natives or have lived in Jalisco for at least two years while working on a science and technology project. They must be nominated by a public or private institution, as self-nominations are not accepted.
Growing Number of Female Participants
The deadline for electronic registration is August 18, with a physical submission deadline of August 25 at SICYTECH’s facilities. According to Cruz Ornelas, the past six editions of the award have seen 28% of participants from engineering and technology, 25% from medical and health sciences, 15% from natural sciences, and 7-8% from agricultural sciences.
“In the past six editions, 563 men and 404 women have participated,” Cruz Ornelas noted. “The number of female participants has been increasing annually.” For more information on the PEICyT, visit sicyt.jalisco.gob.mx.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the recent development in Jalisco’s competitiveness? Jalisco has improved its position by six places in the Index of State Competitiveness (ICE), ranking as the fourth most competitive state in Mexico.
- What factors contribute to Jalisco’s competitiveness? The IMCO’s Innovation and Economy sub-index, which considers patents per million inhabitants and researchers, plays a crucial role.
- What is the State Innovation, Science, and Technology Award (PEICyT)? It is an annual award recognizing researchers and their contributions to innovation, science, and technology in Jalisco.
- Who can participate in the PEICyT? Jalisco natives or those with at least two years of residency and work in science and technology projects can participate, nominated by public or private institutions.
- What trends have been observed in PEICyT participants? There has been a growing number of female participants in the past six editions.
