According to a survey by the National Agency for Research and Innovation, most believe that they are attractive and prestigious areas.
In Uruguay, more and more people are interested in science and technology.
Photo: Freepik
The interest of Uruguayans in science and technology increased more than 100% in recent years, with people who perceive these areas as useful, attractive and prestigious, according to data from the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), dependency that during 2023 will invest 48 million dollars to support the funding of some 90 projects in the country.
The fourth Public Perception Survey on Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CTIE) showed that the percentage of people who are interested in the area step from 7% in 2014 to 17% in 2021, In other words, more than twice as many Uruguayans began to show interest in these areas, in a context where the government tries to attract technological talent.
In turn, the survey reflected that 76% of the population considers that what is researched in Uruguay is useful for the needs of the country, while 64% believe that the scientific profession is attractive and 7 out of 10 think that it is prestigious.
The president of the ANII, Flavio Caiafa, also highlighted that More than 70% of Uruguayans believe that there are innovative companies in the country. “Even, 33% said they were aware of enterprises,” he highlighted in dialogue with Presidential Communication.
In this regard, he stressed that in recent years “scientific and technological ventures have acquired significant relevance.” In this regard, he opined that “this type of company is essential to bring innovation closer to people and markets.”
When asking people what words are associated with science, one of the most frequently mentioned is “innovation”, as specified the Evaluation and Monitoring executive, Lucía Monteiro, who highlighted that many Uruguayans attend open spaces linked to science, such as the Zoo and the Botanical Garden (60%) or Heritage Day (46%).
ANII increased support for research projects
The ANII reported last April that the funds Clemente Estable and María Viñas will allocate up to 1.9 million pesos with the aim of financing basic and applied research projects, which constitutes an increase in terms of economic support for researchers.
At that time, the entity explained that the projects must be completed within a period of no more than three years, with the addition that the initiatives linked to the María Viñas Fund that have financial contributions from a company or organization will be able to access a additional amount of 380,000 pesos.
Source: Ambito
