9.14 – SABF has started. Maximiliano Simcic presented the co-directors: Georgina Becciu and Matías Sulzberger. The directors gave the welcome to the students to the fifth edition of the South American Business Forum and motivated the participants to not only to analyze the surrounding world, but also to find solutions to our common problems.
“Proposals and ideas are not common, in young people we can find the necessary creativity”
9:18 – Georgina Becciu, thanked to all the participants for joining in this new edition and invited them to know each other. Later, she thanked to all the delegates and the jury, without them this event wouldn’t be possible. Also she highlight the collaboration of NGO and sponsors. Finally she remembered to everyone the spirit of self-overcoming of SABF.
9:23 – Jose Luis Roces (ITBA’s Vice Dean) started welcoming everybody to the fifth edition and then said about the forum:
“It is an invitation to understand how complex the world is today”
Then he explained that in there are 3 systems in the complex world where we are living:
- Financial Economic System: Out of control by speculation.
- Technological system: in the last 40 years we master things than we ever thought (eg Human Genetics) (February 12, 2001, dominance of the Human Genome). But then there are still problems to solve: Feeding the homeless population, endemic disease prevention, renewable energy and reducing pollution. Moreover, the audience asked what would happen if the financial support (or bailout) would have been for these four problems.
- System of beliefs (ideas that are dominant at each point): he mentioned that there are difficulties in this area.
To understand and act accordingly invited the audience to look for strategic talent, commenting:
“They are called to be the basis for future leaders”
There are difficulties in the system of beliefs and institutions.
On the other hand, he spoke of the confrontation between two paradigms in this century:
- Liberal ideas: institutions and the enterprise should be guided by economic criteria (profit at any cost).
- Social paradigms.
Both approaches are partial and must be taken into account to achieve the common good.
“The SABF is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that we can achieve common good”
9:33 – Admiral Enrique Molina Pico ITBA’s Dean, began his lecture.
He thanked the organizing team mentioning the great success in the topics covered.
On the topic last year called into question What is the meaning of change? Where noted:
“Education as one of the axis of this forum, is the common factor in this solution “
He said that a vision of common good is essential. About present time:
“Don’t worry about newspaper’s front page, help to change it for a better tomorrow”
“Implement what you have in mind, now”
9:45 – Ruth Ladenheim, Vice Minister, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina:
She appreciated the invitation and outlined the recent achievements of the ministry to which it belongs.
The man is confronted with the violent nature or very difficult to master. Since the early 70s people began to talk of a reversal of the process. If to developed our countries we must use many resources, how to face the double challenge of developing and maintaining global balance and biodiversity? Sustainable development is the answer.
Later she characterized our country as agro-export of manufactures from low or medium value added. She posed the following challenge: How to increase our value added in exports? She also mentioned that there are more investment in public than in private. The Vice Minister continued by presenting a joint institution created to unite: the State, enterprises and academia to achieve multilateral cooperation.
She made the following question to the audience:
“How many large technology projects can be raised in the region?”
She also mentioned the promotion of innovation aimed at developing a plan of Argentine SMEs: “SMEs with scientific institutions” or “Knowledge clusters”.
Moreover, she defined certain lines to promote strategic sectors such as IT, biotechnology, agro-industry.
Finally ended his lecture saying:
“I put all my hopes in you so that we can achieve better not only scientific but social development in Argentina and in the region.”
