CYTED, an example of cooperation in RTD activities
Angel Alique
CICYT: Interministeral Comission for Science and Technology
e-mail: a.alique@iai.csic.es
1.-Introduction
The CYTED Program is the tool for scientific and tecnnological cooperation
in Iberoamerica.
CYTED is the acronym for "Science and Technology for the Development"
and it is and international multilateral program created in 1984 by means
of the Interinstitutional Framework Agreement ratified by the 21 Iberoamerican
countries speaking Portugues or Spanish. CEPAL, OEA, UNESCO and BID take
part as International Observers.
CYTED acts as a tool for facilitating technological development and innovation
by existig resources coordination and cooperation among Universities, RTD
Centres and Innovative companies in Iberoamerica (19 Latin America countries,
Spain and Portugal). CYTED is also a way for fostering productive modernization
and quality of life improvement in the Iberoamerican countries, triying
to produce technological outcomes transferable to the productive system
and social policies of the Iberoamerican countries.
CYTED also acts as a bridge for cooperation between Latin America and the
European Union.
2. CYTED funding
The participating countries gather their resources by means of the financing
of the national research teams participating in the Networks or Projects.
The Program obtains a synergy efect that enhances the existing resources
in Iberoamerica. The program provides with additonal funding originating
in the Interministerial Comission for Science and Technology of Spain, The
Spanish agency for International Cooperation, and some other volunteer contributions
by different contries willing to finance the management and cooperation
activities that make the program possible: coordination meetings, workshops,
exchange , mobility, etc.
CYTED is one of the international cooperative programs that presents a best
cost/profit balance, as the 1992 Report of the Program International Assessement
Comission states.
3. Program organization and management
There is a "bicycle "organization model managing the Program:
One political wheel formed by 21 Signatory Bodies, one for each participant
county, and one functional wheel formed by 16 International Subprograms
Coordinators. The general International Secretariat coordinates and administrates
the Program. There are a General Assembly and a Technical Management Council
in charge of the Program management, but the type of management has a decentralized
and participative character: some 100 Iberoamerican scienticist and technologists
are responsible for the management of the Thematic Networks and Precompetitive
Projects.
4. Types of participation in the Program
There are three ways for cooperation in CYTED with well defined objectives,
Thematic Networks, Precompetitive Research Projects and Iberoeka Innovation
Projects.
- Thematic Networks facilitate the interaction, cooperation and transference
of knowledge and expertise among teams working in the same fields.
- Precompetitive Research Projects facilitate the implementation of projects
through collaboration and cooperation among teams from different countries
that form and international group.
- Iberoeka Innovation projects facilitate the cooperation among companies
from differnt countries by means of joint projects.
In general, the program is greatly flexible regarding activities draw up
and Networks and Projects internal organization.
5. Subprograms
Up to now, there are sixteen active Subprograms:
Thematic
- Aquaculture
- Biotechnology
- Biomass as a Source for Chemical Products and Energy - Catalysis and Adsorvents
- New Sources and Energy preservation
- Applied Electronics and Computing
- Technology of Materials
- Microelectronics
- Fine Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Food Processing and Conservation
- Biological Diversity
- Mineral Technology
- Housing Technology of Social Interest
- Corrosion/environmental Impact on Materials
Horizontal
- Metodology in Science and Technology
- Management in Research and Technological Development
6. Participants
By January 96, researchers collaborating in the several Thematic Networks
and Precompetitive Projects are 8,412 ( Brazil has 1,192 and is the country
with more participants; there only are 35 participants coming from the Dominican
Republic).
7. Current Activities of the Subprogram VII: Applied Electronics and
Computing Projects
- New IT Applications to improve the autonomy of disabled people
- Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Process Control. Diagnosis and
Monitoring
- Software Cooperating systems
- Emerging Techlologies in Electring Systems
- Multimedia and Hipermedia systems: Educational Applications
Thematic Networks
- Integrated production flexible Systems
- Educational Informatics
- Software Technologies
- Industrial Informatics
- Coordination in Telematics