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Research and analysis Mexico: UK Science and Innovation Network summary
A summary from UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN) on science and innovation in Mexico including UK SIN priorities and successes.
1.Science and innovation landscape in Mexico
Research in numbers
The recently created Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI) in Mexico plays a pivotal role in promoting and funding scientific research across the country. As part of their new mandate, they are entrusted with designing and implementing Mexico’s national policy on Humanities, Sciences, Technologies, and Innovation.
The Mexican science and innovation landscape is characterised by strong geographic, institutional and budgetary centralisation, where this institution manages most research programmes and is the main counterpart for cooperation in science and technology with international organisations.
Research and development (R&D) expenditure in Mexico as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) was 0.27% in 2022 according to the World Bank[footnote 1]. The sector with the most gross domestic expenditure on research and development is higher education, followed by the government sector, businesses and non-profit organisations, according to the OECD in 2017.
On science and technology, the total budget in 2024 is expected to reach £1.5 billion GBP which represents 0.51% of the total federal budget, of which 75% (MXN 25.72 billion) will be allocated to CONAHCYT, which most significant programmes are those which grant postgraduate scholarships in Mexico and abroad, giving a bonus to national researchers based on their productivity (National System of Researchers or SNI). The bulk of funding for research activities consists of federal funds.
Public research centres and universities mostly perform scientific research. Scientific production is highly centralised. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is the institution that receives the federal funds and devotes the most money to research, producing 30% of all publications by Mexican researchers.
Mexico has been ranked 58th in the Global Innovation Index 2023, and it holds the third position in Latin America. For this year Mexico was recognised as a global innovation leader, securing a place among the top 3 innovative economies in Latin America and the Caribbean.