Statement highlights the importance of sustained investment in STI
On September 11, the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) has issued a statement expressing support for concerns raised by leading Colombian scientific and academic organizations regarding the proposed reduction in Colombia’s 2027 budget for science, technology, and innovation (STI). The statement was transmitted to Prof. Carlos Alberto Vargas, President of the Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (ACCEFYN), following the publication of a joint declaration signed by ACCEFYN, the Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Económicas (ACCE), the Asociación Colombiana de Universidades (ASCUN), and the Asociación Colombiana para el Avance de la Ciencia (AvanCiencia). Click here to access the statement.
In their declaration of September 8, the Colombian organizations voiced concern over the announced reduction of 9.8% in the overall budget of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias) and 10.89% in investment resources for science, technology and innovation in 2027. They emphasized the strategic importance of sustained investment in research, innovation, and human capital for addressing national challenges and supporting long-term economic and social development.
On behalf of the IANAS Co-Chairs, Karen B. Strier and Alberto Gago, the network shared a formal statement reaffirming the importance of maintaining stable public investment in science, technology, and innovation. The call highlighted the potential long-term consequences that funding reductions may have on research institutions, advanced training, scientific talent retention, and evidence-based policymaking across the region.
Science as a long-term strategic investment
In its statement, IANAS noted that scientific capacity is among a nation’s most valuable strategic assets and that interruptions in support for research and innovation can produce effects that extend well beyond a single budget cycle. The network further emphasized that countries throughout the Americas are seeking to strengthen their ability to address complex challenges, including public health, climate change, energy transitions, food security, biodiversity conservation, and technological transformation, all of which depend on strong scientific institutions and sustained investment in knowledge generation.
The IANAS Co-Chairs reiterated the network’s esteem for the efforts being undertaken to strengthen Colombia’s scientific ecosystem. The statement concludes by reaffirming IANAS’ conviction that sustained support for science represents an investment in the future prosperity, resilience, and well-being of society, and by expressing solidarity with the Colombian scientific community.
