Join STS Forum LATAM 2025
The STS Forum, created in 2004 in Kyoto, Japan, has established itself as one of the leading global platforms in science and technology at the service of society. Mexico will host the STS Forum in its chapter for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 and InnovaFest LATAM 2025, which represents a decisive step in consolidating its regional leadership in scientific and technological fields. The meeting will take place on December 4 and 5, 2025, at the Cuernavaca, Morelos Convention Center.
Within the framework of STS Forum LATAM 2025, strategic topics of high relevance will be addressed, including:
Water security for human and agricultural consumption.
New perspectives on electromobility and the development of adaptive urban centers.
Advances in medicine through biotechnology and genomics.
Innovation in the aeronautical industry and the advancement of aerospace frontiers.
Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation as engines of the future.
In this way, the forum is positioned as an international dialogue space where science, innovation and entrepreneurship converge, with the purpose of generating transformative solutions for society.
STS FORUM AGENDA
December 04
08:00
Doors open and registration at the Morelos Convention Center
09:00 – 09:30
Opening ceremony – inaugural remarks
09:40 – 10:30
Opening plenary session: "New Ideas for a New Era: Driving Innovation and Overcoming Obstacles in Latin America and the Caribbean"
10:35 – 11:25
Plenary session 1: "Water at the Crossroads: For People, Agriculture and Energy"
11:30 – 12:20
Plenary session 2: "Driving Progress: Smart Mobility and Latin American Cities"
Simultaneous sessions 1
12:35 – 13:25
204A
Innovations in electromobility and urban infrastructure
204B
Big Data and AI in health
204C
Sustainable water management and agriculture
204C
Fostering innovation in startups and AI
13:35 – 14:45
Networking and boxed lunch
Simultaneous sessions
14:50 – 15:40
205A
Space exploration: opportunities for Latin America
205B
Climate resilience and water governance
205C
Adaptive urban planning and electromobility
205D
From startups to unicorns: lessons in rapid scaling and innovation
15:50 – 16:40
Plenary session 3: "Revolutionizing Medicine: Biotechnology and Genomics"
16:45 – 17:35
Plenary session 4: "Aeronautical Innovation and Advancing Space Frontiers"
17:40 – 18:30
Plenary session 5: "Developing Entrepreneurship for the Future"
18:40 – 19:10
Closing remarks
This inaugural segment will formally begin the STS Forum Latin America & the Caribbean 2025, bringing together the Government of Mexico, the Government of Japan, and the leadership of the STS Forum. Senior authorities will outline the strategic vision for the event, highlight the importance of science, technology, and innovation for regional development, and set the stage for three days of high-level dialogue and collaboration across sectors.

Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon
Minister of Economy, Mexico

Rosaura Ruiz
Minister of the SECIHTI, Mexico

Margarita González Saravia
Governor of Morelos, Mexico

Ryosei Akazawa
Minister Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan (Video Message)
This opening session brings together some of the leading experts in the five core themes of the Forum: 1. Electromobility and Urban Centers, 2. Medicine and Genomics, 3. Space and Aeronautics, 4. Startups and Unicorns, 5. Water. Each speaker will deliver sharp insights on the breakthroughs, roadblocks, and opportunities shaping the region's innovation landscape.
Moderator
Motoko Kotani
(Science and Technology Co-Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan)

Speaker 01
Electromobility & Urban Centers
Rohan Patel
(United States / Board Member / International Council on Clean Transportation)

Speaker 02
Medicine & Genomics
David Kershenobich
(Mexico / Minister of Health)

Speaker 03
Startups and Unicorns
Neri Tollardo
(Mexico / Founder / Plata)

Speaker 04
Water
Ismail Serageldin
(Egypt / Founding Director Emeritus / The Library of Alexandria)

Speaker 05
Space & Aeronautics
Heriberto Saldívar
(- / Head of the Strategy Department / ESA)

This session will explore critical dimensions of water resource management in the context of mounting global pressures—climate volatility, demographic expansion, and rising energy demand. Through three interlinked sub-themes, speakers will examine how water systems intersect with human wellbeing, power generation, and agricultural resilience.
Moderator
Francisco Nuñez-Escudero
(Mexico / Water Expert / Secretariat of Economy of Mexico)

Speaker 01
Water
Samuel Sandoval Solís
(USA / Lead Faculty Affiliate / California Institute for Water Resources)

Speaker 02
Water
Judith Domínguez
(Mexico / Research Professor / El Colegio de México)

Speaker 03
Water
Patricia Valdespino Castillo
(Mexico / Project Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

This session will explore how electric mobility is reshaping the urban landscape across Latin America. The discussion will bring together leading voices in sustainable urbanism, automotive innovation, and public transportation reform. Drawing from experiences in advanced urban planning institutions, global electric vehicle strategies, and large-scale public transit overhauls, the session will examine how adaptive infrastructure, policy leadership, and equitable mobility systems can drive resilient urban transitions.
Moderator
Raul Rojas
(Mexico / Professor Emeritus / Free University of Berlin)

New Perspectives in Electromobility & Adaptive Urban Centers
Ermilo Barrera
(Mexico / Secretary of Economic Development / Government of the State of Yucatán)

New Perspectives in Electromobility & Adaptive Urban Centers
Daniel Breton
(Canada / CEO and President / Mobilité Életrique)

New Perspectives in Electromobility & Adaptive Urban Centers
Aditya Ramji
(USA / Director / Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California)

Concurrent Sessions No. 1 will bring together experts from diverse fields to explore emerging trends shaping the future of strategic sectors. Across the four rooms, discussions will address the intersection of technology, sustainability, health, and innovation, highlighting practical solutions and cross-sector collaboration.
Room A
Innovations in Electromobility Infrastructure
Moderator

Jimena David
(México / Mobility Manager / WRI)
Speaker 01

Marcela Verónica Bázan Michea
(Chile / Strategy Coordinator / Ministry of Transport and telecommunications, Santiago)
Speaker 02

Roberto Capuano
(Mexico / Responsable proyecto / Olinia)
Speaker 03

Josué C. Velázquez Martínez
(USA / Research Scientist / MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics Room Horizontec– Big Data and IA in Health Care, Intelligent Health)
Room B
Big Data & AI in Healthcare Intelligent Health
Moderator

Guillermo Ruiz Palacios
(Mexico / Head of Department of Infectous Diseases / Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán)
Speaker 01

Najmedin Meshkati
(United States / Professor / University of Southern California)
Speaker 02

William B. Weeks
(United States / Microsoft AI for Health)
Speaker 03

Tonatiuh Barrientos
(Mexico / Director / Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP))
Room C
Sustainable Water Management & Agriculture
Moderator

María del Carmen Carmona
(Mexico / Researcher / UNAM Institute of Legal Research)
Speaker 01

Kenji Nagata
(Japan / Water Expert / Japan International Cooperation Agency– JICA)
Speaker 02

Josué Medellin-Azuara
(USA / Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering / University of California, Merced)
Speaker 03

Valeria Piñeiro
(Unired States / Senior Research Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, International Food Policy Research Institute– IFPRI)
Room D
Igniting Innovation: Fostering Innovation in Tech and Startups
Moderator

Adolfo Babatz
(Mexico / Chief Executive Officer / Clip)
Speaker 01

Alejandro Adem
(Canada / President / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)
Speaker 02

Rosibel Ochoa
(USA / Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Partnerships / UCR)
Speaker 03

Nicolás Cabrera
(USA / Chief Production Officer / Tala)
Concurrent Sessions No. 2 will deepen the conversation on the technological, environmental, and industrial transformations underway across Latin America and beyond. Speakers in each room will examine sector-specific opportunities—from space industry development and climate governance to adaptive urban planning and high-growth entrepreneurship—while emphasizing policy frameworks, innovation readiness, and long-term resilience.
Room A
Space Exploration Opportunities in the Industry Sector
Moderator

Olivia Holzhaus
(USA / Chief Executive Officer, Rhodium Scientific, Space and Life Sciences)
Speaker 01

Pilar Zamora Acevedo
(Colombia / Executive Director / Colombian Space Agency)
Speaker 02

Katia Echazarreta
(Mexico / Astronaut and Founder / Fundación Espacial Katya Echazarreta)
Room B
Climate Resilience and Water Governance
Moderator

Hugo Roberto Rojas
(Mexico / Executive Director / National Association of Water and Sanitation Utilities)
Speaker 01

José Ramón Ardavín Ituarte
(Mexico / Executive Director / CESPEDES - Business Council for Sustainable Development)
Speaker 02

José Antonio Rodriguez Tirado
(México / International Consultant / Water issues)
Speaker 03

Frank J. Loge
(USA / Director / Center for Water-Energy Efficiency - CWEE)
Room C
Adaptive Urban Planning & Electromobility in Latin America
Moderator

Manola Zabalza Aldama
(Mexico / Secretary of Economic Development / Government of Mexico City)
Speaker 01

Patricia Baires
(El Salvador / LATAM Business Development Manager / SynergEV)
Speaker 02

Gabriela de la Torre Ríos
(C40 / Regional Head of C40 Cities / Zero Emitions Vehicles LATAM)
Speaker 03

Edgar Antonio Valdés Porras
(Mexico / Founder of Polisplexity and Hadox Research Labs, and Director, Centro de Supercómputo del Bajío)
Room D
From Startups to Unicorns: Lessons in Rapid Scaling and Innovation
Moderator

Francisco Solsona
(Google Developer Experts (GDE) Lead - Americas)
Speaker 01

Daniel Vogel
(México / Founder / DeepTech & Industrial Innovation)
Speaker 02

Diego Santamaría Razo
(Mexico / Founder / ACTIVAE – DeepTech & Industrial Innovation)
Speaker 03

Marlene Garayzar
(Mexico / Co-Founder and Chief Governance Officer / Stori)
This session will explore how advances in biotechnology and genomics are redefining the boundaries of modern medicine. With insights from leading scientists, entrepreneurs, and global health experts, the discussion will trace the impact of genomic research on disease prevention, personalized therapies, and drug development.
Moderator
Juan Enriquez Cabot
(Mexico–United States / Founder and Chief Executive Officer / Biotechonomy LLC)

Speaker 01
Revolutionizing Medicine: Biotech and Genomics
Juan Andrey Zarur Jury
(Mexico–United States / Founder and Chief Executive Officer / Greenlight Biosciences)

Speaker 02
Revolutionizing Medicine: Biotech and Genomics
Luis Herrera Montalvo
(Mexico / Dean of the School of Medicine / Tecnológico de Monterrey)

Speaker 03
Revolutionizing Medicine: Biotech and Genomics
Laura A. Palomares
(Mexico / Director / UNAM Biotechnology Institute)

This session will examine the forefront of industrial innovation in the global aerospace and aeronautics sectors, with a particular emphasis on how technological advances are reshaping the industry in Latin America and beyond. Bringing together leaders from national space agencies, major manufacturers, and pioneering organizations, the discussion will highlight developments in propulsion systems, satellite technologies, and next-generation aircraft.
Moderator
Gustavo Medina-Tanco
(Argentina/Mexico / Researcher and Head, Space Instrumentation Laboratory LINX / Institute of Nuclear Sciences, UNAM)

Speaker 01
Aeronautics Innovation and Advancing Aeronautical Frontiers
Alejandro Cardona Seemann
(Mexico / President / Safrán)

Speaker 02
Aeronautics Innovation and Advancing Aeronautical Frontiers
Shelli Brunswick
(USA / Founder and Chief Executive Officer / SB GLOBAL LLC)

Speaker 03
Aeronautics Innovation and Advancing Aeronautical Frontiers
Heriberto Saldívar
(- / Head of the Strategy Department / ESA)

This session will convene global entrepreneurial leaders and investors to explore how innovation, leadership, and risk-taking are being redefined in the face of shifting economic, technological, and societal landscapes. From venture-backed tech startups to biotechnology research and corporate leadership, panelists will share diverse perspectives on what it takes to build transformative companies across regions and sectors.
Moderator
Adam Smith
(Sweden / Chief Scientific Officer / Nobel Outreach)

Speaker 01
Mexico / Chief Executive Officer and Founder / Saptiva AI
Angel Cisneros
(Mexico / President / Agro&Bio)

Speaker 02
Driving Entrepreneurship for the Future
Enrique Galindo Fentanes
(Mexico / President / Agro&Biotecnia)

Speaker 03
Driving Entrepreneurship for the Future
Chapin Flynn
(USA / Senior Vice President / Mastercard)

The Closing Remarks will bring together national and international authorities to reflect on the outcomes of the forum. Leaders will highlight key messages from the sessions, reaffirm commitments to scientific and technological cooperation, and outline the next steps for regional collaboration ahead of the 2026 edition.
Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo
(President of the United Mexican States)

Margarita González Saravia
(Governor of Morelos, Mexico)

Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon
(Minister of Economy, Mexico)

Rosaura Ruiz
(Minister of the SECIHTI, Mexico)

Amb. Sadayuki Tsuchiya
(Head of the STS Forum Delegation)

Morelos Convention Center
Aut. Cuernavaca – Acapulco Km. 112, Col. Alpuyeca, Xochitepec, Morelos,
C. P. 62797
Tel: (777) 391 6321 to 23



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Frequently Asked Questions
No, participation in the STS Forum in its chapter for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 and InnovaFest LATAM 2025 is completely free with prior registration.
At the Morelos Convention Center, from December 4 to 5, 2025.
Yes, it is necessary to complete the registration form. You can do so through this link. And through the confirmation folio you will have your place secured.
The STS Forum in its chapter for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 and InnovaFest LATAM 2025 will be held in person at the Morelos Convention Center.
The STS Forum in its chapter for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 and InnovaFest LATAM 2025 is driven by the Ministry of Economy, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation, the Government of the State of Morelos, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), as well as recognized research centers, universities, entrepreneurs, innovators and investment funds.
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