Speech composed, with others, on behalf of the Director of the RD&I center in Mexico where I served in the Peace Corps. My part was in strengthening the style in English and in making the speech engaging.

1. Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg
DoctorEnrique Villa Rivera, DirectorGeneral del Consejo Nacional de
Ciencia y Tecnología
ProfessorKeith Burnett, Vice-Chancellorof the University of Sheffield
Distinguished Presidium Members…..Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Afternoon….
Two centuries ago, México fought for her future independence;a hundred
years ago, México struggled for her future democracy;today, we strive for
our future prosperitybased on knowledge, technology and innovation so
México can assume her proper stature among advanced economies
alongside – and with the supportof – the United Kingdom. Let this work
together, then, be México’s finest hour.
Hace dos siglos,México luchó para su independenciafutura. Hace cien
años, ella luchó para su democraciafutura. Hoy en día, nos esforzamos
para lograr nuestra futura de prosperidad conbase en los conocimientos,
tecnologíae innovación por las que la Repúblicapueda tomar su propio
lugar entre las economías más avanzadas, no solo lado a lado con – sino
con el apoyo de – Gran Britania. Así,se deja que nuestro trabajo junto se
convierta en el mejor momento de México.
During the last FOUR (4) decades,the Mexican governmenthas worked
through CONACYT to accelerate science and technology inourcountry.
Nonetheless,as Dr. Villa himselfnoted recently:“Science in Méxicoand
Latin America remains a work in progress for catalysingeconomic
growth driven by technologicalinnovation.”
To implementthis national initiative in the State of México, CONACYT and
COMECYT established the FOMIX FUND to stimulate Research
Developmentand Innovation. Part of the FUND’s mandate was a general

2. request for proposals to construct and operate an Advanced Manufacturing
and Logistics ResearchCentre.
CIDESI’s proposal won an EIGHTY (80) eighty million pesos grant – or four
million pounds sterling – supplementing a TEN(10) million pesos
contribution from CIDESI itself plus the donation of THREE-POINT-TWO
(3.2) hectares – or roughlyEIGHT (8) acres – of land by the Government
of the State of México.
In pursuing her future, México urgently needs to target technologyand
innovation in the short-term. Consequently, we are reaching out to
exemplary global institutions for their collaboration in joint-public-private
partnerships for the knowledge transfer necessaryto accelerate these
processes.
In this vein, we welcome gratefully the timely assistance and counsel of the
University of Sheffield,an élite institution with more than a century of
leadership in advanced technical teaching and research. We greet this
collaboration with a university – quite near to your Parliamentary seat, Mr.
Deputy Prime Minister -- since Sheffield ranks at the top of global research
institutions in those fields of knowledge most helpful to us.
Especiallyimportant to CIDESI is the core curriculum being developedfor
Masters Degree and PhD candidates studying at this Centre. Sheffield and
CIDESIare designing this academic package to extend and reinforce the
curriculum initiated under a similar grant THREE (3) years ago in the State
of Nuevo León.
The internationally renowned Advanced Manufacturing ResearchCentre of
Sheffield with Boeing and many multi-national high technologyenterprises
have perfected a modelof joint academic and industrial collaboration in:
 advancedmachining;
 manufacturing process;
 assembly; and,
 material testing.

3. The collaboration agreement that we sign today will establish the proper
protocols necessary to apply this A-M-R-C business model in México.
We at CIDESIare committing our infrastructure and expertise – both in our
principal site in the City of Querétaro and in our facility in Nuevo León – to
ensure top quality applications of Sheffield and Boeing’s A-M-R-C
framework in the new Centre to be built in the State of México.
While we have realised significant advances in high-precision machining
and rapid prototyping in Nuevo Leónas well as in composite materials
manufacturing and testing in Querétaro, the collaboration with Sheffield will
surely expand the breadth and scope of our R-D-and-I projects and post-
graduate training.
Working with Sheffield will help us realize México´s future of scientific
advance through the following THREE (3) benefits:
 Knowledge transfer to industries established in México;
 Global mobility of researchers;and,
 Long-term integrationof México’s knowledge.
As such, the Sheffield experiencewill enable CIDESIto strengthen our new
post-graduate programme in Advanced Manufacturing based in the State of
México.
This post-graduate programme foreseesSIX (6) selectedMasters Degree
students per year between 2011 and 2013 in the following disciplines:
 Process Modelling,Monitoring and Automation;
 Automated Assembly;
 Non-conventionalMachining; and,
 IntegratedManufacture.
The Programme further anticipates THREE (3) P-H-D candidates per year,
through 2013,in the fields of:
 Process Modelling;
 Composite Material Production;and,

4.  Machining and Testing.
By expanding our poolof talent through the continued supportof
CONACYT, CIDESIcan contribute to the long-term developmentof the
State of México.
In closing,…this alliance we celebrate here today brings to mind what an
equally internationalist British political economist and philosopher,John
Stuart Mill, once said,
“Thereis no finer proofof the progress of civilisation than the
progressof the power of coöperation.”