Public R&D Centers, Social Agents of the Socio Economic Innovation System of Mexico

Since late 1990¡¯s in the first world was proposed a new mission for the public universities beyond the teaching and research and development (R&D); their conversion as agents for economic development through the knowledge transferred to other society organizations. More than twenty years have passed and now we can see that in practice achieving this has been very difficult for public universities of developing countries. In the case of the Mexican Centre presented, it is shown that public University have historically established strong links with other public governmental organizations and that the technology and the knowledge products delivered through the years, have had important social impact but no economical. Therefore, we propose that an important factor is that university R&D entities must develop stronger links with both, private companies and public organizations. Case shows that this phenomenon not only depends on the linking system performance, but also of the lack of the innovation culture among domestic entrepreneurs. The conclusion is that today's role of the public university in Mexico is the generation and knowledge transference for the social welfare and that it is required create new ways to establish relationships with other economic actors in the Mexican innovation system, in order to promote the growth of the country's economy.