ENGINEERING FOR THE ECONOMY OF THE 21st CENTURY

This paper discusses the importance of technological innovation for developing regions, which implies the introduction of improved products and existing processes, which in turn involve a series of scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial actions. Thus, it emphasizes the importance of the ability of engineering professionals to innovate and adapt to the constant transformations that are presently taking place, since this capacity can determine the productive development of a region or country. It also proposes that economic development is not only economic growth; therefore, an aspect to consider is the training of professionals, whose preparation should be the result of academic strategies that allow engineering schools to take advantage of location, experience and other specific conditions, for the development of specialties of global reach. Lastly, it is suggested that the low priority given to science and the modest technological results achieved in Chile and similar development countries are not correlated with the efforts made to improve higher education. Thus, we conclude that schools of engineering must be an efficient interface between the regional reality in which we are immersed and the need for scientific and technological development.