Twelve Years of Nanotechnology
in Mexico (2000 – 2012)
Stacey Frederick*
Edgar Záyago Lau
Guillermo Foladori
Edgar Arteaga
S.NET Presentation: Boston, MA
October 28, 2013

Overview
• Nano & Mexico
▫ Introduction
▫ Centers & Labs
▫ R&D Funding
▫ Research/Publications
▫ Commercial/Firms Activities
▫ Summary

Nanotechnology in Mexico: Intro
• Second in nano-involvement in Latin America
• No national nano policy, but mentioned in science
and technology (S&T) initiatives
▫ Special Program of S&T: 2001-06
 First S&T education and R&D investment policy
▫ Special Program of S&T and Innovation: 2008-12
 Nano one of nine priority areas for S&T development
• $US 60 million (est.) in public funds: 2005-10
▫ CONACYT: National Council of Science & Technology
 Key funding institution

Nano R&D Funding in Mexico
Main Federal Calls for Projects in Mexico: 2004-2012
Sources, Approved Projects & Nano-Related Projects
Name of the Fund
Time
Period
Total
Approved
Nano
Projects
Nano Share of
Total
Totals 10,036 511 5%
CIAM 2004-2012 39 19 49%
FOMIX 2004-2010 356 45 13%
FIC Equipment Support 2009-2012 218 16 7%
Basic Research SEP-CONACYT 2004-2012 5,381 340 6%
Complementary support for SNI I 2006-2011 1,617 61 4%
FORDECyT 2009-2012 71 1 1%
Fondos Sectoriales ~2005-2012 2,304 29 1%
FIC Infrastructure for GMOs 2011 10 0 0%
CIBIOGEM 2005-2013 40 0 0%
Only one fund made a call explicitly for nano: FOMIX
Data Source: websites of funding sources; searched for nano terms in titles: nano
Prepared by Edgar Ramón Arteaga

Nano-Specific Centers & Labs in Mexico
• CONACYT/Public National Labs:
▫ Nat’l Nano Labs: est. 2006/08; $2 mil.
each for construction & equipment
 Advanced Materials Research Center
(CIMAV): NaNoTeCH: Chihuahua
 National “nano” point of contact
 Institute of S&T Research (IPICyT):
LINAN: San Luis Potosí
▫ INAOE: National Nanoelectronics Lab
(LNN): Puebla (2010)
▫ INNN: Nano Lab: Mexico City (2004)
• University-Based
▫ UNAM: N&N Center (CNyN): Baja
California (2008)
▫ IPN: Center for Nano/Micro S&T
(CNMN): Mexico City (2009)
▫ UV: Micro-Nano Center (Microna):
Boco del Rio (2005)
60+ labs and centers engaged in nano R&D
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Network (Red NyN)
▫ Est. 2009; network of researchers
▫ Budget of US $700,000

Evolution of Nano-Related Publications
by Mexican Authors (n = 4,471)
123
169 162
201
217
301
321
345
471
494 489
547
631
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
ArticlesPublished
Publication Year
• Significant increase 2008-2012
• 5% of all articles in ISI WOS time frame with author from Mexican institution
• 1% of all nano-related articles using the same search terms
Search performed in ISI Web of Science for articles published between 2000-2012 using terms from Kostoff, Murday, Lau & Tolles (2006). The seminal
literature of nanotechnology research. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 8(2), 193–213.

Publication Counts by Main Institutions
98% of articles by
public institutions
UNAM, 1706, 24%
CONACYT Research
Centers, 1132, 16%
IPN, 1061, 15%UAM, 409, 6%
IMP, 336,
5%
BUAP,
296, 4%
UASLP, 265, 4%
UANL, 169, 2%
USON, 168, 2%
UAEM, 128, 2%
ININ, 118, 2%
UDG, 118, 2%
UMICH, 115, 2% Public ≤ 100 articles,
831, 12%
Private Insitutions,
139, 2%
National Autonomous
University of Mexico
(UNAM) one quarter of
research
Publication counts by institutions located in Mexico: 2000-2012: Chart includes the total number of articles with at least one author from the institution and the
institutions’ share of the overall number of publications during the time period.

Geographic Distribution of Publications:
States
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Articles
Mexican State

Geographic Distribution: Co-Authors
Country/
Region
Articles Share
Mexico Only 2,389 53%
EU-15 928 21%
USA 734 16%
Japan 154 3%
Russia 84 2%
Cuba 72 2%
Colombia 71 2%
Ukraine 70 2%
Total 4,471

Nano-Related Firms in Mexico:
Geography & Ownership
• 101 firms
• Majority (68%) domestic firms
• Geographic concentrations in Nuevo Leon & Mexico City
Preliminary analysis based on data from: Zayago Lau, E., Foladori, G. & Arteaga, E. (2012). Toward an Inventory of Nanotechnology Companies in Mexico.
Nano. Law & Business (9), p. 283-292.
Distribution of Firms by Ownership

Nuevo León
• Research & Technological Innovation Park
(PIIT): Monterrey, Nuevo León
▫ Industry, government & academia
▫ Nano Cluster of Nuevo Leon (CNNL)(est. 2008)
 Specialized incubator for nanotechnology
 30+ companies
 Funded by CONACYT & Nuevo Leon State
Government
 Mixed Funds (FOMIX) program
 19 nano-specific linkage projects (2001-12)
▫ $82 million

Nano-Related Firms in Mexico:
Activities
• Majority of firms in materials &
manufactured products
• Largest share of firms in final products
(52%)
• Most appear to be engaged in
manufacturing; at least 10% engaged in
research, distribution or service only
Nanoscale
Intermediates:
30; 30%
Nano-Enabled
Products:
53: 52%
Nanoscale
Materials:
15; 15%
Tools, Equipment & Machinery: 3; 3%
Health, Medical
& Life Sciences;
14%
Electronics &
Energy; 9%
Construction &
Industrial; 28%
Coatings &
Composites;
26%
Nanomaterials;
15%
Automotive &
Textiles; 8%
Materials &
Manufactured
Products; 77%
Number of Firms & Share of Total by Value Chain Stage
Primary Industry Sectors & Leading Value Chain Sectors
Preliminary analysis based on data from: Zayago Lau, E., Foladori, G. & Arteaga, E. (2012). Toward an Inventory of Nanotechnology Companies in Mexico.
Nano. Law & Business (9), p. 283-292.

Summary
• National Policy & Funding
▫ S&T as a priority area relatively new (~10 years)
 Nano as a strategic path more recent (~5 years)
 No nano-specific initiative; estimated ~5% of R&D projects
• Research Centers & Publications
▫ Over 60 research centers with some nano-research activity
 Over 50% of research literature from three groups (UNAM,
CONACYT & IPN)
▫ Geographic concentration around Mexico City
▫ Minimal private sector participation
• Commercial Activities
▫ 100+ firms identified
▫ Largest share in materials/industrial-related goods
▫ Mix of foreign and domestic ownership
▫ Centralized in Nuevo León & Mexico City

Thank you
Stacey Frederick: stacey.frederick@duke.edu