Country report on Mexico

European Union

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Research policy and organisation

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• Publié par: EUROPEAN-UNION
• Nombre de lectures: 23
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

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COMMISSION
OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES
SCIENCE
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
MONITOR - SAST ACTIVITY
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN
SELECTED ADVANCED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND THE
COMMUNITY IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Sast Project N° 1)
COUNTRY REPORT ON MEXICO
by
Constantine Vaitsos, Athens University
December 1990
EUR 14145 EN 51
MONITOR - SAST ACTIVITY
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN
SELECTED ADVANCED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND THE
COMMUNITY IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Sast Project N°1)
COUNTRY REPORT ON MEXICO
by
Constantine V. Vaitsos, Athens University
January 1991
PARL EUROP. BibÜoth.
N.C.^/^V/j'
CI. Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation
L-2920 LUXEMBOURG
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting on behalf
of then is responsible for the use which might be made of the following
information
Catalogue number : CD-NA-14145-EN-C
e ECSC - EEC - EAEC, Brussels - Luxembourg, 1992 FOREWORD
This report has been prepared for the Strategic Analysis in Science and Technology Unit
(SAST) of the Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development of the
Commission of the European Communities. SAST activities are part of the MONITOR
Programme which aims to identify new directions and priorities for Community research and
technological development (RTD) policy and to help show more clearly the relationship
between RTD policy and other Community policies.
For questions already identified as of interest for the development of Community policy,
SAST projects provide an investigation of the perspectives opened up by science and
technology. SAST projects thus serve as an input to the process of policy formulation. In
the case of the SAST project to which this report contributes, "The needs and possibilities
for cooperation between selected advanced developing countries and the Community in the
field of science and technology", the context of policy questions includes the evolving
economic relations between the Community and these countries, the interest to the
Community of promoting international cooperation in science and technology with various
types of countries, and the Community's role in European science and technology.
This report is one of a set of country studies carried out for the project. The set comprises
the Republic of Korea, Thailand, other ASEAN countries, the People's Republic of China,
India, Brazil and Mexico. An overall strategic review will also be available in 1992.
It should be borne in mind in reading the country studies that the fieldwork on which they
are based was carried out a/most entirely in the country concerned. The points of view of
European industrialists/researchers/po/icy makers were not explicitly sought for this part of
the projşct. (They will be sought as part of the work for the overall strategic review.)
SAST presents this report as a stimulus to reflection and debate within the European
Community on the best strategies to adopt towards a group of increasingly important
countries. It must be stressed, however, that the orientation and content of reports
prepared for SAST cannot be taken as indicating the considered opinion of policy advisors
within the Commission services. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
INTRODUCTION AND READERS' GUIDE in
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i-ii
PART I : STRATEGIC REVIEW
1.1. THE MAIN ISSUES 3
1.1.1. The pervasiveness of the macroeconomic crisis 3
1.1.2.e policy reversal for economic restructuring 4
1.1.3. The overwhelming presence of the U.S. in Mexico's
external sector transactions 5
1.2. TECHNOLOGY INTENSIVE EXTERNAL SECTOR ACTIVITIES 7
1.2.1. External trade patterns 7
1.2.2. Foreign direct investments and the maquiladora industry 8
1.2.3. Trade in know-how and licensing agreements
1.3. THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (S&T) SYSTEM 10
1.3.1. The evolution of S&T expenditures
1.3.2. Qualified human resource development2
I.4. PROPOSALS FOR MEXICAN-EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
S&T COOPERATION INITIATIVES 14
1.4.1. Areas of direct concern to the business sector 1
1.4.2. Mexico's social needs and S&T cooperation6
1.4.3. Cooperation in high technology areas7
PART II : DECISION BASE
11.1. THE MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT 24
11.1.1. Stability, expansion and collapse
11.1.2. The evolution of Mexico's restructuring and
stabilization programs : 1983-886
11.1.3. The new policies of the Salinas government9 11.2. TECHNOLOGY INTENSIVE EXTERNAL SECTOR ACTIVITIES 33
11.2.1. Trade patterns 3
11.2.1.1. Exports and imports of goods 3
11.2.1.2. Trade with the EEC5
11.2.1.3.e in consulting engineering
and construction services6
11.2.2. Foreign investment flows and the maquiladora industry 37
II.2.2.1.The labour intensive export assembly
industry ("maquiladoras") 39
11.2.3. Trade in know-how and licensing agreements 40
II.3. THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM : STRUCTURE.
TRENDS AND CHALLENGES 43
11.3.1. Introductory remarks
11.3.2. The evolution of S&T expenditures
11.3.2.1. Overall description of institutional
aspects of S&T4
11.3.2.2. Breakdown of public S&T expenditures 45
11.3.2.3. Human resources in R&D activities
11.3.2.4. Research and development by firms7
11.3.2.5. Programma Mexico 49
11.3.2.6. Financing technological development in
private enterprises
11.3.2.7. Some basic problems and challenges 51
11.3.3. Development of qualified human resources3
11.3.3.1. Overall evolution of the educational system
11.3.3.2. Undergraduate education system4
11.3.3.3. Graduate education 56
11.3.3.4. Summing up of main issues8
II.3^.4. International S&T cooperation9
II.4. HIGH TECHNOLOGY SECTORS 62
11.4.1. Electronics and informatics
11.4.1.1. Size and composition of the Mexican market 6
11.4.1.2. Qualitative aspects
of the electronics subsectors4
11.4.1.3. The policy background5 1.4.2. Biotechnology : applications in productive activities 66
11.4.2.1. Biotechnology in the pharmaceutical
and health sector 6
11.4.2.2.y in agricultural activities8
11.4.2.2.1. Natural nitrogen fixation 6
11.4.2.2.2. Tissue culture9
11.4.2.2.3. Biopesticides
11.4.2.2.4. Livestock sector, food and feed 70
11.4.2.3. Equipment and materials for biotechnology2
ANNEXES
Annex 1 : Public research institutions, by ministerial category 75
Annex 2 : Statistical tables 77
LIST OF TABLES (with page references)