House of Representatives Awards CIECAS Researcher

Alejandro Barragán Ocaña wins first place in the XIV National Award for Social Research and Public Opinion

Claudia Villalobos

For the analytical and methodological rigor of his project titled "Science and Technology as Mechanisms for Designing an Industrial Policy and Addressing National Problems in Mexico," Dr. Alejandro Barragán Ocaña, a specialist from the Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales (CIECAS), was honored with first place in the XIV National Award for Social Research and Public Opinion.

The competition, organized by the House of Representatives through the General Secretariat, the Secretariat of Parliamentary Services, and the Center for Social Studies and Public Opinion, aims to foster the generation and dissemination of research and studies on social issues, sustainable regional development, and public opinion to support legislative work.

In his project, Dr. Barragán Ocaña analyzed Mexico's main national challenges and outlined the capabilities required to develop and effectively use domestic technology.

As a level 2 member of the National System of Researchers (SNII), he proposed decentralizing science and technology in a differentiated manner, while considering regional needs. His goal was to promote a more equitable development of capabilities aligned with the specific demands of each state.

Additionally, he highlighted the importance of boosting inventive activity and encouraging the protection of intellectual property through patent registration with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), especially innovations emerging from educational institutions.

Dr. Barragán Ocaña emphasized that while Mexico has institutions dedicated to implementing science and technology policies, educational institutions like the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) can play a key role in offering guidance to create strategies that foster the development of new policies.

In addition, Néstor Alfonso Zulaica Carpio, a Master's student in Innovation Management at CIECAS, received an honorable mention for his research project titled "Public Internet Use and the Digital Divide in Mexico City."

His analysis focused on the use of public internet in Mexico City under the "Internet for All" program initiated by the city government. This program aims to reduce the digital divide and provide web access to benefit low-income populations.