Public universities of the Mar de Cortés join forces to boost regional scientific and sustainable development

The five most important public universities in northwest Mexico have consolidated a strategic alliance to strengthen regional development. The institutions of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora are combining their capabilities to positively impact the economy, science, and society. This collaboration was formally presented during the Summit 2025 of the influential Mar de Cortés Forum.

This joint initiative seeks to accelerate the connection between the academic world and the productive and governmental sectors. The rectors of the universities agreed that it is fundamental for the science generated in their classrooms and laboratories not to remain solely in academic publications, but to be translated into tangible solutions for the region. The goal is for this knowledge to be used to innovate, prevent risks, open new markets, and build social welfare.

A pillar of this collaboration is the "Technological Observatory of the Scientific, Academic, and Business Corridor." Created in April of this year, this observatory links the civil organization Mar de Cortés Forum with the five universities. Its goal is to articulate academic knowledge with public policies and the productive sector, serving as a vital bridge between science and the sustainable development of the five states involved.

Despite financial challenges, such as the reduction in federal funding for higher education, the rectors emphasized that they are promoting projects with a real impact. The proposals presented at the forum are not just academic, but concrete solutions with direct effects in critical areas like nutrition, public health, industry, and regional biodiversity conservation.

The Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) leads in marine biotechnology and artificial intelligence. With over 30 years of experience, they have achieved the reproduction of totoaba in captivity, releasing over 200,000 fry. Furthermore, they developed an AI algorithm, already in use by the state's Ministry of Health, capable of detecting tuberculosis from chest plates, highlighting their capacity to produce one million totoaba fingerlings annually.

In Baja California Sur, UABCS has positioned itself as a living laboratory for sustainability. The extreme conditions of drought and limited electrical connectivity have forced the university to focus its education on conservation. Dante Salgado González, its rector, noted that the institution has redirected its careers toward sustainability, developing projects like worm farms to generate agricultural inputs in alliance with civil society.

The Autonomous University of Nayarit (UAN), for its part, provides certainty to investment through science. Rector Norma Liliana Galván Meza explained that they developed the State Ecological and Territorial Ordering Program. This scientific tool allows companies to measure environmental and social risks, guaranteeing rational land use and providing the necessary technical foundation to attract responsible investment.

From Sinaloa, the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) focuses on biotechnological innovation and food security. Its research aims to improve the nutritional value of basic foods, such as tortillas with chickpeas. Additionally, they are developing experimental vaccines against dengue and bacteriophages to purify water. Their scientific contributions were also key to reopening the export of Mexican peppers to Japan after 80 years.

The University of Sonora (USON) demonstrates the power of data science applied to public policy. During the pandemic, a multidisciplinary team developed software to model contagions and predict their labor impact. Rector Dena María Jesús Camarena Gómez noted that this allowed for informed decisions for the reopening of productive activities, protecting both the health and the economy of the state.

Finally, the Mar de Cortés Technological Observatory is emerging as the grand scientific platform of the alliance. It will gather open data, protocols, and foster collaboration between academia, businesses, and the public sector. The goal is clear: to promote high-value projects in the five states, turning the Mar de Cortés region into a global benchmark for innovation and sustainable development.