He does not complete two months in his post and Silvia Diaz It has been part of two milestones of personal impact, and this reflects the possibility of advancing in great challenges for the country. The way he was entrusted to guide.
The scientist who led her to reveal her role became the first woman to rule the world on September 6, at the age of 35. Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Innovation (CTCI). The newest portfolio and ministers since its launch at the end of 2019 Andrés Couve in the Government of Sebastián Piñera; and Flavio Salazar in the first months of Gabriel Boric’s term until his first cabinet reshuffle.
Just weeks after the Pontifical Catholic University PhD in Chemistry took office, President Boric unveiled the 2023 Budget Act, with a historic 9.6% increase in investment in research and development (R&D). There is about $76 billion allocated to these areas, and they pave the way for the president’s pledged target of going from 0.34% of GDP invested in these issues to 1% in a few years.
“The main challenge in science, technology, knowledge and innovation in Chile has been investment and is now less inclined. With the increase in the budget, there is a real solution to bridge the gap in promoting scientific-technological development in the country”, continues Diario Concepción and in his first interview in the Biobío Region, in the introduction, a brief introduction to the region with a date to be determined according to the agenda for the discussion on the budget in Congress. visit.
And with that, they know who made up their community. CTCI He previously worked as scientific director of the Fundación Encuentros del Futuro for several years and before that worked in research centers. As Díaz, Chilean refers to Chile’s small investment in R&D, as the OECD countries average of 2. Percentage of GDP.
Thus, growth is one of the most anticipated and promising leaps forward, as low finance necessitates and highlights the development of science and technology and other complexities that undermine national development, which in the new model introduced sees this as more than economic growth. It is based on progress that aims at good, from knowledge throughout the country in an equal and sustainable manner, in harmony with nature.
Centralization and gender gap
With this challenge, which has more favorable conditions to overcome, others who are part of the government plan, involved in progress, are tasked with healing and promoting. Silvia Diaz when you take the job Ministry of CTCI: “we must decentralize science and knowledge and promote gender equality”.
It’s a mission that goes beyond a conversation and fulfillment of an obligation, it’s imposed on her soul, because “decentralization and gender equality are my biggest challenges as minister, and I’m working hard to shorten them,” she said. as much as possible”. How not? “I come from the region and I strongly believe in decentralization,” he says. Silvia DiazA native of Ovalle, a city in the Coquimbo District, several districts north of the Metropolitan. Besides, she’s a woman.
Therefore, he knows the inequalities that decentralization involves, inequalities that first manifest in national capital and then in large resources and capacities at the local level in regional capitals and big cities. And you don’t need to read the reports or have someone tell you that it exists or how it affects the gender gap in science and academia, because based on your experience you can confirm that even if there is progress, it’s a world full of men and people. The balance is in their favour. not female or sexual opposition, for example, on salary issues or leadership positions.
Therefore, she knows that capacities are not about gender and that there are people all over Chile who will benefit from them, and that centralization and closing gender gaps are key to progress in strengthening the power system. CTCI country and to reflect this to the world. “Strengthening the ecosystem is necessary to demonstrate this. CTCI they are the foundation of our development”, continues the minister, on the one hand “we want to promote Chile as a center of world scientific development, because we have world-class scientists: frontier science Magallanes from Arica and we are committed to demonstrating and promoting this”.
The aims are clear and especially for the challenge of decentralizing knowledge, science and skills, Minister Silvia Diaz emphasizes the importance of encouraging the joint work of regional governments, universities and Seremia, providing tools according to their strengths and needs. All this because he is convinced that “from a regional point of view we need to strengthen our entire ecosystem”.
It emphasizes the value of the gender difference. National Gender Equality Policy inside CTCI The work to update it as it was released in 2021 and prepared with previous data, so it is necessary to explore how reality has changed.
We also “work hard with the industry to increase the percentage of investment in R&D and achieve what has been committed to achieve 1% of GDP”, since both public and private investment is taken into account and today a large part of it comes from Turkey. is coming. As in developed countries, the balance is expected to stabilize.
76 billion It is an R&D investment that is 9.6% more than the previous treasury in the 2023 budget in Chile.
Use of resources
How will the historical increase in investment be made available to the public? Ministry of CTCI and set goals? “We will apply this economic impulse to the best of our ability so that it continues in the years to come, and we are committed to using government resources in a less bureaucratic way and with the proper use of public spending,” Díaz said.
From there, he explains: “The 9.6% increase in investment CTCI It touches all portfolios dealing with relevant issues and as the Ministry we have 5% right”, explaining that the new Ministry will be used to improve the existing one as it builds on the work of previous organizations with a long history, with the paradigm of strengthening the system in a decentralized way.
In particular, it is emphasized that “it will be a strong investment to strengthen the Explora Program” within the Department of Science and Society of the Ministry, which carries out projects in all regions and has a long history in Chile. It had an important role in promoting, educating and democratizing access to knowledge and science, first at the old Conicyt and with a particular focus on school children.
It also advances the strengthening of public technology institutes, which we finance as the Ministry, that respond to the needs of citizens in agriculture, mining, health and other issues, and are strongly committed to producing public policies and concrete solutions. As a state, we need this.”
Because there are priority areas at the national and regional level where decentralized labor policy implies contributing to responding to both country and local needs.
So requests may be very different across the country, but he confirms that the Ministry has not had the momentum to put in place to have a fair impact with Seremías and be reflected in the distribution of investment. “We will not put the north into competition with the south because they are different and cater to different needs. The region offers concrete solutions to the country’s problems and we will encourage, for example, how the north can offer us concrete solutions to migration problems or what concrete solutions the south can offer regarding aquaculture,” he says.
5% of the budget to be injected into Ministry of CTCIbecause resources go to any portfolio that has issues with CTCI.
Biobío’s role
This is the essence of the work, which is articulated with various regional formations that already exist and are only intended to be strengthened, as it makes it necessary to spread, exist and reach different regions throughout the country. Silvia Diaz He has already visited different cities, but did not make an official visit to Biobío as minister, although his counterpart, Flavio Salazar, came along with undersecretary Carolina Gainza and Sonia Pérez as the leader of the Science Community Division.
Of course, he would love to come to our region in the near future, as he knows this very well thanks to his previous work that has allowed him to visit and connect with researchers and other actors of the powerful local CTCI system connected to the Seremi of the South. From O’Higgins to the Biobío District, Dr. Central Macrozone led by Sofia Valenzuela.
“The ministry has a strong job, especially in the Biobío Region. Because we all know that Chile has several advanced scientific poles and the Biobío Region is a very strong pole of scientific development. That’s why Seremia works every day to further develop the region,” he concludes.
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