CIC Marks 30 Years of Advancing Computing Research and Innovation

Cecilia Balderas / Photos: Jorge Aguilar and Israel Vera

Arturo Reyes Sandoval highlights CIC’s contributions to Mexico’s digital transformation on its 30th anniversary

The Director General of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Arturo Reyes Sandoval, led the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Centro de Investigación en Computación (CIC), emphasizing that the center has gone beyond academic relevance to become a symbol of innovation and cutting-edge technology in Mexico.

Currently, CIC has 47 faculty members affiliated with the National System of Researchers (SNII) and offers six graduate programs: three master’s degrees and three doctoral programs. A total of 1,392 graduates have completed their studies at the center, including 282 PhD graduates in Computer Science, 734 with a Master of Science in Computer Science, and 373 with a Master of Science in Computer Engineering.

The event was attended by former IPN directors Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez and José Enrique Villa Rivera, as well as CIC’s founding director, Adolfo Guzmán Arenas.

“CIC is the result of significant efforts to ensure that Mexico would not remain a mere observer in the digital revolution, but rather actively contribute to the advancement of computing. Through the Polytechnic, our country understood early on that computing would become the new language of human development,” Reyes Sandoval stated before students, faculty, and administrative staff.

He added that CIC recognizes that knowledge and science become truly transformative when they reach industry, translate into patents, and solve real-world problems in healthcare, agriculture, or public administration. For this reason, its vision goes beyond knowledge management and materializes in proposals aimed at reducing technological dependence and delivering practical solutions.

“In a world where Artificial Intelligence, semiconductor design, and supercomputing are shaping national autonomy, CIC ensures that Mexico possesses the talent and capabilities to chart its own course. On its 30th anniversary, CIC stands as a compass for national technological development, consolidating a science of its own—one that emerges from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional,” he emphasized.

CIC Director Juan Humberto Sossa Azuela recalled that the center originated from the Centro Nacional de Cálculo (CENAC) and the Centro de Investigación Tecnológica en Computación (CINTEC), and noted that over three decades, it has evolved into a cutting-edge institution with the expertise to address the scientific and technological challenges facing society.

“CIC has established itself as one of the leading centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Celebrating 30 years represents another milestone in our continued growth. The future is already here—we are living through a technological revolution and facing new challenges, including the development of ethical Artificial Intelligence that enhances rather than replaces human capabilities.

“A practical quantum computing framework that contributes to solving society’s most complex problems, robust national cybersecurity to protect our data, and advancements in electronics—all of which support the technological independence that our country demands,” he added.

As part of the ceremony, Sossa Azuela presented Arturo Reyes Sandoval with a silicon medal, explaining that the material symbolizes both technological advancement and the human potential reflected through it. “Carbon is the foundation of life, but silicon is the foundation of the technology that supports us,” he noted.

In her remarks, the Secretary of Research and Graduate Studies, Martha Leticia Vázquez González, stated that the anniversary is an opportunity not only to celebrate an institutional trajectory but also to recognize a vision that was ahead of its time.