The Center for Research and Technological Development of Electrochemistry (CIDETEQ for its acronym in Spanish) could leave its branch in Tijuana, due to the lack of will of the Administrative Office of the State Government and the State Council of Science and Technology (COCYT for its acronym in Spanish), being that the Government hasn't formalized the donation of the property in favor of CIDETEQ.

This is a leading center in the research and development of electrochemical technology in Mexico, which also provides various services to the industry, such as metal analysis, water analysis, material characterization and fault analysis. Since it arrived in Baja California in 2011, it has served more than 100 companies.

The legal uncertainty over the ownership of the property is not the only issue at hand. The magnitude of the budget cut that the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT for its acronym in Spanish) suffered this year negatively affected the Stimulus Program for Innovation (PEI for its acronym in Spanish), Mixed Funds (FOMIX for its acronym in Spanish) and the Institutional Fund for Regional Promotion for Scientific and Technological Development and Innovation (FORDECyT for its acronym in Spanish).

Walter Velazquez, a researcher in Tijuana, says that although CIDETEQ's Tijuana branch is designed to be self-sustaining, it currently depends heavily on CONACYT's support. "About 70% of our budget comes from the National Council of Science and Technology, so now we are waiting for the General Directorate and the Internal Organ to decide what will happen with the Tijuana branch. Officially we are not closing; unofficially we are operating with the minimum of personnel. We continue to offer technology services and train students in four master's and doctoral programs, so all the support and cooperation that the Tijuana branch can receive will be more than welcomed", shared Dr. Walter Velazquez, Highlighting the interest that CIDETEQ represents at this moment in expanding its collaboration network and strengthening its linkage with the various industrial sectors.

CIDESI lives the same legal uncertainty regarding property ownership

The Center for Engineering and Industrial Development (CIDESI for its acronym in Spanish), another institution housed in the Technology Consortium

of Baja California, experiences the same legal uncertainty regarding the ownership of the property, as it does not see the donation of the property assigned to it since 2011, and thus, it is not be able to inject financial resources to build, add or improve its infrastructure, or develop new projects for the benefit of the industry, since it is not within the patrimony of said center.

"We have requested the donation of the property since 2012, because without this we cannot invest in maintenance and improvements to the property because the treasury does not allow us, we would be at fault when investing in a place that is not owned by CIDESI," says Fabiola Perez Gomez, Deputy Director of CIDESI's Baja California Administration.... Continue reading article here

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