Biography: 
Erica Hynes is Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Santa Fe.
PhD in Chemistry from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, she did postgraduate studies in France and is currently an independent researcher at CONICET, specialist in food technology.
During two periods she served as Secretary of Science and Technology at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), where she is also a tenured professor at the School of Chemical Engineering.
As part of the management staff of the University, she promoted the gender approach, especially the design and management of Science and Technology policies. He contributed with papers at international congresses, and participated in various missions and meetings on gender issues, both in the country and abroad. In 2015, she led the campaign "More Equality, Better Science", focused on promoting domestic co-responsibility in the scientific community of the UNL and in 2016 she promoted the strategic project "Gender focus in R & D policies" within the framework of the development plan of the University.
In March 2017 she was elected coordinator of the Argentine team of the international SAGA project (STEM and Gender Advancement) of UNESCO, which is developed through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of the nation.
Abstract: Bridging the technological gap. Program “Santa Fe 4.0”
The state of Santa Fe is one of the most diverse economic territories in Argentina. With an extensive agro-industrial complex, a strong industrial sector, a network of interconnected cities and accessible ports and roads, production within the state is able to match current international standards.
However, these productive strengths are not exempt from the general difficulties found in Argentinian industry today, particularly the lack of digitization. Recent studies show that traditional jobs within the industrial sector are at risk of disappearing if there is a failure to digitize, especially where they are exposed to global competition for productivity.
To face this risk, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Santa Fe has embarked on the programme, “Santa Fe 4.0”, with the strategic objective of engaging the local economy in a digitalization process that will increase productivity, develop the industrial framework, improve knowledge-based services, and maximize those jobs of increasing technological quality.
