ISTEC members are invited to participate in the free flow of information for the pursuit of technical excellence. Through the coordination of the outstanding staff and resources of various geographic locations, ISTEC has developed a series of initiatives directed to and promoted by its members: organized efforts that create activities to address specific areas of research, as well as social, pedagogical, informative and technological impact.
Within each initiative, the projects have been identified, planned and implemented among the members of the ISTEC network. Because they respond to the needs of our members and their communities, the projects are dynamic and expandable, encouraging the creation of collaborative and highly coordinated networks that maximize the use of available resources.
Research and Development (R&D): The initiative aims to support the processes of education and research in Science, Technology and Innovation. For more than 25 years, the R&D initiative, working with its members, academics, industrialists and international agencies, has contributed to the training of more than one million academics among professors, researchers and students. With the support of the industry, more than 250 laboratories have been installed in areas such as Microprocessors, Digital Signal Processing, Programmable Logic (FPGAs), Wireless Network Sensors, Nanotechnology, Optoelectronics, Embedded Systems, Instrumentation & Control, Robotics, and Medical Simulators , among others. In addition, the initiative has facilitated the academic mobility of students and teachers internationally.
ACE – Advanced Continuing Education: The ACE continuing education program provides educational paths for training, updating and / or specialization, for the entire community of users and providers of educational services in Latin America, linking the professional and institutional capacities of each country.
Library Link (LibLink): The central axis of this initiative lies in the management and sharing of information, through various instances: sharing of library collections (articles, conferences, book chapters, thesis, etc.) free of charge, meta-searches, a virtual reference service, a search and information retrieval service (OPAC) on the open resources of institutions (mainly repositories) harvested by the ISTEC Al self-developed harvesting tool, between others.
Los Libertadores: This initiative was inspired by the work of the Liberators that changed history in the region. Their vision was to integrate Latin America. Therefore, the initiative aims to create and collaborate “inter/multi/ transdisciplinary centers of excellence” interconnected, to solve the great challenges that are no longer national and regional, but global. It also aims to strengthen horizontal collaboration between countries.
It is the common thread that links all initiatives, goals and objectives of ISTEC. Since its creation it has been intended to create a flexible network of services (e-services) for education, knowledge exchange, research, development, innovation, services in entrepreneurship (social, business), as well as ICTs for social, cultural development, political and economic of Ibero America. Internationalization has been promoted since its inception, which lately has been becoming very important in academia, NGOs, business, multilateral agencies, governments, and individuals.
