Health, climate and sustainability, industrial transformation, education, and thriving cities and communities—these are the five key areas Tec de Monterrey is prioritizing in research for the coming decade.
Feniosky Peña-Mora, Executive Vice President for Research, highlighted these priorities in his opening remarks at the 2025 Tec Science Summit, where he shared the stage with David Garza, President of Tec de Monterrey, to discuss the present and future of the institution’s research efforts.
“We need to identify where we can make the most meaningful impact. That’s why we’ve defined these strategic areas, where our expertise and strengths have the greatest potential,” Peña-Mora explained. “We aim to be leaders in applied research—research that truly makes an impact, that is visible and tangible.”
Peña-Mora emphasized Tec’s ambition to become a leading research institution in Latin America, recognized worldwide. To achieve this, the institution has committed at the highest levels to meeting research goals with a vision toward 2030.
Tec is driving impact in health through initiatives like Project oriGen, and the Institute for Obesity Research, as well as efforts to address food insecurity. In sustainability and industrial transformation, the Institute of Advanced Materials and Sustainable Manufacturing is leading the way. Meanwhile, education and thriving communities are being advanced through the Institute for the Future of Education and other key projects.
The State of Research at Tec Today
David Garza provided an overview of Tec’s current research landscape, comparing its growth over the past five years using metrics such as rankings and publications.
“We are now focusing on original publications—where research originates. This reflects the impact we’re making through the work that Tec de Monterrey researchers are producing,” Garza stated.
For instance, scientific publications at Tec grew from 1,528 in 2019 to 2,306 in 2024, with original research articles increasing from 539 to 735. Citations jumped from 18,370 to 102,636 in the same period. Additionally, the number of researchers registered in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI) increased from 570 to 705, while external funding attracted by Tec’s research projects grew by over 83 million pesos.
Garza also noted Tec’s rise in global university rankings. “In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, we used to have 13 disciplines represented, but only one ranked among the top 100 globally. Today, we have eight—showing our progress.”
He also emphasized the growing importance of Tec’s research institutes, international strategic partnerships, flagship projects like oriGen, and centers focused on cities of the future and early childhood development. Additionally, he highlighted TecSalud’s recent partnership with the Ragon Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Scientific and tech-based startups are another area of rapid growth. Over the past three years, Tec has launched 16 new companies—eight of them within the last year alone. The institution is also investing in dedicated research and innovation spaces, including the Monterrey Innovation District, the Expedition FEMSA building, and the Tec Health Campus.
The Future of Research at Tec
Looking ahead, Peña-Mora stressed that strengthening the research, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem is a top priority.
“Our goal for 2030 is to be a leader and reference in applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, creating a meaningful impact on individuals, communities, industries, and the planet,” he said.
To achieve this, Tec has outlined key objectives: increasing research impact across schools and institutes, fostering national and international strategic partnerships, strengthening the culture of research and graduate programs, and enhancing entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Success, he noted, will require collaboration across Tec’s entire research ecosystem—including schools, institutes, research centers, and knowledge-generation platforms.
Additionally, strategic partnerships must be carefully cultivated to support Tec’s aspirations. “We need to ensure that our collaborations align with our long-term vision. We also want to bring in students at all levels—graduate, master’s, undergraduate, and even PrepaTec—to be part of this research ecosystem.”
Ultimately, Peña-Mora envisions an ecosystem driven by curiosity, rigorous problem-solving, and multidisciplinary collaboration to tackle the challenges facing society and the world.
He also emphasized the importance of creating an environment where academia, industry, and government can work together to build a system that drives real transformation and impact.
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