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