Report (UNAM Morelos, TEC Monterrey)

23 Février – 2 Mars 2012

Brokerage event, Mexico, CONACYT, European Community

Henri Dou

ATELIS - ESCEM

Report concerning le Brokerage – Mexico – February 2012-

Henri Dou, douhenri@yahoo.fr 33 612893181 http://www.ciworldwide.org http://www.atelis.org

Thank to the benefit of a grant from the European Community, I had the possibility to participate to the research brokerage in Mexico. I also thank very much Dra Marisela Rodriguez from Monterrey who invited me to the University, providing transport and hotel, as well as Dra Isabel Olalde who did the same for the visit of UNAM Cuernavaca.

I then thank both institutions for their active participation, hoping that they will get from the presentation of Competitive Intelligence and Strategic information analysis, some vision of a global governance helping to develop actionable research as well as the national industry.

People met during the visits

Dra Isabel Olalde Quintanar

Universida Nacional Autonoma do Mexico, Avenida Universidad n° 2001 Col. Chamilpa

CP 62210 Cuernavaca Mexico, 52 (777) 1626978 cell 52nn(777) 329 08 82nnOffuicina

iolalde@morelos.unam.mx

Dra Marisela Rodriguez Salvador

Professor Investigador - TEC de Monterrey

Ave Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur. Campus de Monterrey

Monterrey, CP 64849 NL Mexico

8328 44 12 8358 20 00 Ext. 5127

marisrod@itesm.mx

Dr Jesus Arnoldo Bautista Corral, Coordinatdor,

UNAM, Av Universidadn°2001, col Chamilpa

CP 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos

777 3 29 06 76

bautista@morelos.unam.mx

Dr Aaron Sanchez Juarez

Secretario de Gestion Tecnologica

UNAM, Centro de Investigacion en Energia, Cuernavaca, Morelos

6 777 3250052 ext 29725

sgestec@cie.unam.mx

Dr Enrique Galindo

Jefe del Departamento de Ingenieria, Instituto de Biotecnologia

UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos

(52-5 56227651

galindo@ibt.unam.mx

Luis Felipe Castillon

Chromatic Works, Dircetor y Consultor

871 106 84 37

Luis.castillon@chromaticworks.com

Cesar Garcia Lopez

Servicio en propriedad Intelectual y Gestion Tecnologica Director General

Bvd Luis Donaldo Colosia, 5560, Local 6, Saltilio, Coahuila(844)4850205 (844)122 88 75

Cesar.garcia@c-i.com.mx

Armida Lozano Castro

Tecnologico de Monterrey

International Program Director, Virtual University

8183284139

Armada.lozano@itesm.mx

Dr Jroge Martinez Frayre

Dircetor

Centre de Calidad y Manufactura, Campus Monterrey

52/81 83582000 ext 5182/5168

jmanriquez@itesm.mx

Brokerage event Mexico city

Henri Dou and Rita T orrez Pascacio

Visit to Monterrey

Henri Dou and Marisela Rodriguez

We worked with Dra Marisela Rodriguez and two people of her staff, to APA (Automatic Patent Analysis) to provide to companies different insight of the development of the research in various fields. We assisted to the presentation of part of the master thesis of one of her student, and I wil

participate (skype or other remote device) to the presentation of its wotk and to the conclusion of his Master Thesis. This will be done in April and June.

During my stay in Monterrey I also give a conference on Competitive Intelligence and the new role of the University (see ppt in annex). The goal of the conference was to present various aspects of Competitive Intelligence and how it can help the decision makers in science, technology and economy by using, analysis and understanding the information in phase with the vision of the Institution or the Enterprise.

We concluded by setting up a program to work with patent analysis on different subjects such as certain aspects of polymer chemistry, with in view to comfort the relationship of the TEC de Monterrey with industry.

Visit to UNAM (Cuernavaca)

Under the guidance of Dra Isabel Olalde, we met various people in technology transfer, biology, energy and physics. We, in the same time visit various laboratories.

Henri Dou, Isabel Olalde, Cesar Garcia Lopez

A conference on the role of Competitive Intelligence and strategic information in research institutions and industry has been given. Various examples from different countries underlined the key role of information, of the intelligence cycle and the AOPA (Automatic Patent Analysis) to facilitate the development of a good governance in research, that is to say to use the competences of researchers to help the regional of national companies (second step of the innovation). (See ppt in annex).

Implementation

During the various discussions which took place during the laboratory visits as well as during the conference, I pin point the fact, that if research is good, it is necessary for an institution to make choices, according the key technologies of the countries, to create PPP public and private partnerships (clusters), to develop an innovative thinking at the intersection of the Naciaol (or regional) institutions, the research laboratories and the Industry.

As an exercise, the analysis of the UNAM patents (see in annex some results) , reveal a certain lack of governance in the valorization of the research, or at least some misunderstanding of the role of a patent or of the competences which can be transferred to industry.

With Dra Isabel Olalde, we agree to have some closer contacts, to exchange ideas and practices in the field of valorization and to present jointly a program of Competitive Intelligence Audit. In fact a program of valorization must be worked upstream, that is to say that the institution (UNAM) should set up priorities in research according the needs of the country. This should as a result (mainly by the research funding) orient some research in useful areas. Then, the transfer will play a major role. It is clear that if part of the research is not market oriented, the output of the valorization will be extremely low.

Possible guidelines

At the end of this brokerage and also after the discussion and presentation of various aspects of post-research valorization, and Competitive Intelligence and SRS1 (Social Research Responsibility), it is possible to make a tentative of recommendations. But to reinforce their possible impacts, some examples must be related

Monterrey: patent analysis in conjunction with a Chemical Company. The subject is relevant, but during all the study almost ne contacts were organized with the experts of the Chemical Company which provided the subject. This underlines a lack of practice in Competitive Intelligence, where a constant interaction between the company and the laboratory must be maintained all along the work. These contacts may be organized either face to face or using virtual systems such as a platform of cooperative work. The competences exist, since in Monterrey there is the virtual university which can make available this sort of tools. Then, beyond the simple analysis the process to create an actionable knowledge from the laboratory competences must be worked out.2

UNAM – Cuernavaca: there is a will to develop some transfer between the laboratory outputs and various companies. A bureau of transfer is organized locally. But before making any recommendations, it is interesting to examine a few facts, which will enlighten the necessity to develop a governance in this matter.

Solar energy: I visited the solar energy laboratory, perfectly situated with splendid weather conditions. During the visit, I saw some devices to having as purpose to heat the domestic water.

1Henri Dou, Innover dans la recherche publique en France: la responsabilité sociale de la recherche (RSR) est-elle mesurée? , Vie et Sciences Economiques, Décembre 2010, pp/148-1672 Henri Dou and Jean Marie Dou Jr, The processes of building knowledge. - The case of smes and distance learning, ISDM Information Science for Decision Making, n°17 Juin 2004 article n°174http://isdm.univ-tln.fr/articles/num_archives.htm

Domestic water solar heating system UNAM

So far, there is nothing special. But I remember that in 2010 I visit in China one company in Zhao Zhuang (Shandong Province) a company which developed the same system:

Domestic water solar heating system ZZ China

Up to now nothing special again, but the main difference can be seen on the following picture:

Water solar heating systems equip many houses (buildings or individual) in China

Then, the discussion will be the following, why to spend time and efforts in research if the output of the laboratory knowledge is useless. This comment came from the fact that I did not see the same equipment in Mexican buildings and houses, and the discussion with the people of the energy laboratory shows that if the system work well, the application in the region of nation was quasi nil.

The same noting can be made about the solar barbecue which has been developed in the same lab.

The UNAM patents: most of the program of transfer and interaction with industry, in the mind of the decision makers, are characterized by patents. This call for a bit of knowledge about patenting, why ? with whom? Which type of patents ? the limit of the system and its integration into the Competitive Intelligence and transfer processes.

We did this brief study on the UNAM patents to be able to discuss with the various people that we met. Other studies (comparative should be interesting) could be done with the patents issued from the Monterrey institutions. But, because of the size and the national importance of UNAM, this university concentrated most of the research potential of the country. Then, if guidelines and a general governance must be developed, that could be one of the best starting point.

Trend in patent deposit with a Mexican priority: (UNAM as applicants)

Trend in patent deposit with a Mexican, priority

The figures are the number of patent families

From the figure above, it seems that two periods of patenting can be noticed. Recent years and around 1993. In between it does not seems that a strong patent policy was developed.

Countries associated with UNAM as Applicant

Countries associated with patents with UNAM as Applicant

The figures are the number of patent families

Collaboration between UNAM and other Institutions

Main research trends in UNAM patents

UNAM research areas and collaborations (the figures in circles indicates the pair frequencies). Only Mexican patents are examined (no WO or US patents)

The various areas of research are the following:

A – Human necessities

B –Performing, transportation, transporting

C – Chemistry, Metallurgy

F – Mechanical engineering, lighting, heating, weapons, blasting engines or pumps

G –Physics

H – Electricity

Discussion

When we examine the patents issued from UNAM, a striking fact is noticeable: the lack of co-patenting with industry. This emphasizes the lack of the development of clusters, which are one of the best outputs of the Competitive Intelligence applications in regional and national development. We may also notice a weak number of co-patenting with organizations different from industry. It is also noticeable than in most of the patents the names of the inventors are present also in the applicant field. This suggest à practice rather different of what is happening in most of the other countries.

The subjects (we did not differentiate the patents with a priority other than Mexican when there is collaboration with another institution since their number is scarce. ) are developed in Chemistry and Metallurgy (this is a good practice since Mexico gets various species of ores). The other area is the Human necessity (which include drugs, hygiene, cosmetics, etc).

Because we did not got a list of strategic technologies (exercises made in most countries every 5 years for instance), we were unable to see if there is a synergy between the main patenting areas and the strategic view of the development. Looking to the literature shows that the SRI International works with a Mexican region in this area.

Another point which must be discussed is the fact that a patent which as a Mexican priority and which is not extended (EP, US, WO and other states if necessary) can be copied in all other states and use freely without paying any royalties. On another hand, extending patents is costly, this can rise to several 10.000 of US$ (case of the EP, WO or US patents). In this condition there should be some guideline to choose the patents which need to be extended

Example (without having any questions about the research quality): PARA EL CULTIVO IPROCESO PARA EL CULTIVO INTENSIVO DE CHAPULINES Y SUS DERIVADOS

Proceso para el cultivo intensive de chapulinas y sus derivados libres de contaminantes para consumo humano. METHOD FOR THE INTENSIVE CULTIVATION OF CONTAMINANT-FREE LOCUSTS AND DERIVATIVES THEREOF FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

MX2006PA01727  14/02/2006 extended to WO2007MX00013  13/02/2007

Looking to the trend of extension and subjects did not give a clear picture of a governance in this matter.

Main research areas in WO extended UNAM patents

UNAM extended to WO – Main research areas (other frequencies 1 are not show)

Main research areas in UNAM extended to US

Research areas in UNAM patent extended to US

Tentative Recommendations

After the brokerage and the various discussions with different researchers, it seems clear that the basic step of innovation is not made actionable in the laboratories, national institutions and industry. (There are exceptions of course, but we are speaking on a very general point of view). Let us go back to the definition of innovation (which is not invention. The term innovation was improperly used by some of the speakers during the brokerage event):

Step 1 – The state or other institutions fund the research laboratories and universities to create competences.

Step 2 – These competences MUST be transformed in products and services, robust enough to go to the market and to be exported of be used as substitutes of imported product.

This second step is fundamental and is best achieved by creating clusters (or poles of competitiveness) using most of the time the concepts and methods of the Competitive Intelligence. The work of M. Porter or of the Dutch School (Triple Helix), as well as many analysis of the national or regional development3 second this basic idea. The comments, and the brief analysis made above, underlined the fact that this second step, which will impulse a new governance is not yet develop in UNAM and partially in Monterrey.

For this reason, we think that short courses in Competitive Intelligence or in the use of strategic information to develop a state of pre-clusterization, should be done. These chort courses, should be opened to national or regional decision makers, industrial and researchers as well and this is a must to the people involved in technology transfer and valorization. A model, such as the one developed by ATELIS in France and exported in Chile, Malaysia, Indonesia could be used4. In the same time, a large use of patent information should be promoted in the research laboratories and prospective analysis think tanks. Most of the time people see the patents as a way to protect the intellectual capital, which is true, but there is another way to use the patent information. The APA (Automatic Patent Analysis) provides in most of the case the answers to the fundamental questions who is doing what, where, when, with whom, etc… This will level the ground to the SWOT analysis, the Porter’s diamond, etc.

Henri Dou, Marseille 14 of March 2012

3 see for more information the various papers presented in http://www.ciworldwide.org 4Henri Dou and Jacky Kister Valorisation, Synergies, Innovation and Development Trans2tech - Driving Innovation from Science to Business – (European Community) - Aix en Provence - 6 Mars 2008

Henri Dou and Pierre Larrat, Strengthening the private and public partnership in actionable knowledge. The case of ATELIS (Strategic work room of the ESCEM Business School).Trans2tech, Muenster 1-2 October 2008, Germany, (European Community)