CARMEN VELA OLMO is in Montevideo during a week in which science, technology and innovation are at the center of a large array of forums organized at LATU and IMM facilities.
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The Spanish researcher emphasizes that science is excellence and it should not be forgotten that it and technology are behind objects and tools of everyday life, for example in the car that requires a nanotechnology industry and another microchip industry or also in sectors such as of food
—In Montevideo these days there are an important series of forums on science, research, innovation and technology. That's why your visit.
—I came for several activities, it's not the first time we've been here. The main reason is to participate in the Regional Open Science Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by UNESCO and several entities, such as the Municipality of Montevideo.
—Technology today invades everything or almost everything.
—More than invading, it is the reason for almost everything, it is part of a chain that is in our daily lives. Science in the broadest sense, including technology, is in the development of societies, in making the lives of citizens better.
—From a modern car to swimming suits or golf clubs, they were developed by nanotechnology, which also influences medicine and food.
—Completely, you have to see the new materials, compare those wooden tennis rackets and the current ones. You also have to think about fabrics, carbon fiber, engines, everything is permeated by science. We are not aware but it is in everyday life. Nanotechnology is a perfect vehicle to also dispense medicine drugs, vaccines. The panorama is enormous.
—You have said that betting on excellence requires distributing money among the best.
-Absolutely; When economic situations are difficult, priorities must be established. In terms of science: the highest quality and the best talent put at the service of research.
—Uruguay is the first country in Latin America, per person, to export software. The sector's external sales reach 300 million dollars a year. What would you recommend in terms of investments for our world of science?
—Software for what or how; It is a transversal technology that can have many applications. As a country, I would apply information and communication technologies until it reaches citizens, but not as a sector. In our country we have not opted for sectors but for transversality. A transversal technology is capable of contributing to many sectors. Carbon fiber technology has allowed Spain to take a really important position in the aerospace sector. We are one of the few countries in the world that can make a complete airplane. It is true that in some cases a sector must be prioritized. In this time of crisis, livestock and agriculture worked extraordinarily well in exports, and allows us to balance our balance of payments. That has made us bet on this broad sector within our bioeconomy strategy.
—With innovation there are great changes in traditions and work. Now there is controversy around applications that affect transportation, such as Uber, or the real estate business.
—It is already clear that there are things that are here to stay. We better get along, agree on measures, set compliance standards to maintain competition with other sectors.
—In some countries, states partner with Uber.
—It is not a simple model, Uber today is not a business, it loses large amounts of money every month, throughout Europe and now in China. But they are betting on a long future.
—What investment does Spain make in research and innovation?
—1,24% of GDP, about 13 billion euros; We are far from the European average and there is still a lack of involvement and business investment. It is expected to break the barriers between the academic and private worlds and reach 2% in 2020.
—How many scientists do they have?
—They exceed 200 thousand.
—Are there more women joining in, being protagonists?
—Yes, but we are far from real equality. More women than men graduate from our universities. We reached 50% in the doctorate but when moving up the ladder it falls. There is a 17% of female professors, for example.
—Advancing faster in the scientific area has been one of its premises.
—Of course, not to continue rediscovering the wheel. There are problems characteristic of a country, but there are other global ones. For example, the population is aging. Spain is one of the longest-lived; We must work to give these citizens a higher quality of life.
In the public and the private
He studied Chemical Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he specialized in Biochemistry. She spent 5 years as a researcher in the Immunology Department of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation and in 1982 she joined a company dedicated to animal health: Ingenasa. At the Center for Molecular Biology he spent 2 years working on a project on the development of vaccines and diagnostic systems for the African swine fever virus. In 2011 she was appointed Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation.
She is the author of numerous scientific publications. She was president of the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists and president of the Spanish Society of Biotechnology.
Profile.
Name:Carmen Vela Olmo. Born: on March 25, 1955, in Sigüenza, Guadalajara, Spain.