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The Persistent Innovation Gap Between Universities and SMEs in Latin America
La brecha persistente de innovación entre universidades y PYMEs en América Latina
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/ing.investig.123828Keywords:
University–industry collaboration, SMEs, Engineering education (en)Vinculación universidad-empresa, PYMES, Educación en ingeniería (es)
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This letter to the editor addresses the persistent innovation gap between Latin American universities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), exacerbated by academic incentive structures and financial constraints in the local productive sector. It argues that undergraduate engineering students, formally embedded in co-creation hubs, serve as an underutilized and short-term actionable mechanism to bridge this gap without requiring new funding instruments. Through curricular integration into internships and capstone projects, public policy support, and a two-way cultural transformation, students act as active bridges for applied knowledge transfer. This strategy enhances students' professional skills while fostering regional economic resilience and sustainable development.
Esta carta al editor aborda la persistente brecha de innovación entre las universidades de América Latina y las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES), agravada por la rigidez de los incentivos académicos y las restricciones financieras de la industria local. Se propone que los estudiantes de pregrado de ingeniería, integrados formalmente en hubs de cocreación, constituyen un mecanismo infrautilizado y viable a corto plazo para cerrar esta brecha sin requerir nuevos instrumentos de financiamiento. Mediante el rediseño curricular de prácticas y proyectos finales (capstone projects), la articulación de políticas públicas y una transformación cultural bidireccional, los estudiantes actúan como puentes de transferencia de conocimiento aplicado. Este enfoque busca fortalecer las competencias profesionales del estudiantado mientras se impulsa la resiliencia económica y el desarrollo sostenible regional.
References
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