Public investment in science and technology is up almost 40% in Mexico compared with five years ago, according to Dr. Enrique Cabrero Mendoza, Director General of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Mendoza voiced his appreciation for the current administration in its encouragement of the technology sector, adding that he is hopeful that the future governments will also be supportive of the sector.

“Any presidential candidate who does not consider science as a pathway to future growth should be ignoring the global reality”, Mendoza told reporters at a press conference, according to local news portal Cronica.

Over the past few years, Mexico has made progress in technology development, which will open enormous possibilities for the country, he added.

Mendoza also pointed out that in developed countries private investment in the technology sector is three times the size of public investment. However, in developing countries, governments should invest initially to create a conducive atmosphere for private companies to chip in.

Citing the establishment of Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) or SNI, he said Mexico had made great strides in developing the talent pool.

Thanks to SNI, today there are more than 1,500 researchers working in labs and universities across the country, contributing greatly to the scientific and technological development in the country.

Over the past few years, CONACYT has supported higher education of hundreds of Mexican students in US institutes, including the University of Texas System ((UT System).

Many Texas institutes already have existing relationships with CONACYT for research collaboration and student funding. For example, UT El Paso and UT Dallas have well-established agreements for educational cooperation, and UT San Antonio has an agreement in place supporting post-doctoral fellows.