Central America in Focus: YSI Side Event at the RIDIT 2026 Conference

About “Leonel Corona Treviño” Contest, International Distinction in Innovation Studies

Leonel Corona Treviño is a distinguished academic and a pioneer in innovation studies in Mexico. His research and reflections are based on a multidisciplinary perspective that encompasses economic theories, the history of technology, management and foresight, sociology, geography, and public policy. Drawing on political economy and structuralist and dependency theories, he founded Mexico’s first seminar dedicated to the study of science and technology in 1977, together with Dr Theotonio Dos Santos. With Amílcar Herrera, he developed relevant research on the opportunities and threats that technological trends represent for Mexico and Latin America. His work over more than four decades addresses technological capabilities and learning, innovation in companies and specific regions, science, technology, and innovation policies, university-business links, and the articulation and performance of national systems, among other relevant topics. He is currently Honorary President of RIDIT.

Thus, the Research and Teaching Network on Technological Innovation (RIDIT) invites graduate students and young researchers from universities in RIDIT member countries, who are dedicated to innovation studies, to participate in the contest for the 2026 “Leonel Corona Treviño” International Distinction in Innovation Studies. This call considers that: the Research and Teaching Network on Technological Innovation (RIDIT) is composed of a group of researchers and instructors from Mexico and other countries in the Hispanic-American region, which has functioned as an academic space for reflection on innovation processes within specific contexts; one of the objectives of RIDIT is to promote research, teaching, and the dissemination of topics related to innovation from multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives; training of human capital linked to innovation processes is essential, given the accelerated technological change and the emergence of new scientific knowledge and technological developments that have a direct impact on the world’s economies and citizens.

The thematic axes of the contest are:

• Knowledge Management 4.0 and Transfer of Knowledge
• Quality Management 4.0 and Digital Continuous Improvement
• Smart and Sustainable Supply Chains
• Sustainable Management 4.0 and Socio-environmental Responsibility
• Innovation in Creative and Cultural Economies
• Algorithmic Ethics, Data Governance, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence
• Collective Intelligence, Human–AI Collaboration, and Innovation Networks
• Resilient and Agile Organizational Design in the Digital Era
• Operational Cybersecurity and Technological Risk Management
• Innovation Culture and Change Management in Management 4.0
• Foresight and the Future of Management 4.0

Thus, the “Leonel Corona Treviño” International Distinction in Innovation Studies is an academic recognition of the best research on innovation. There are three categories of participation: one for theses in progress, another for recent master’s and doctoral graduates, and a third for young researchers, with awards presented at RIDIT conferences.

Modalities of participation

For the 2026 edition, the Distinction contemplates three modalities of participation, whose awards will be presented within the framework of the XII International Conference of the Research and Teaching Network on Technological Innovation (RIDIT):

1. a) Theses in progress, both master’s and doctoral, that present partial results.
2. b) Completed theses, both master’s and doctoral, submitted by recent graduates.
3. c) Young researchers, through the submission of published articles or book chapters.

General rules

1. Postgraduate students, recent master’s or doctoral graduates, and young researchers are eligible to participate.
2. Those who have received this award in previous editions are not eligible to participate.
3. Research must address topics related to innovation, from theoretical and/or empirical approaches, in different disciplinary fields, and contribute to the analysis of problems related to innovation and the formulation of alternative solutions.
4. The scientific and methodological rigor of the analysis will be considered, as well as the bibliographic, newspaper, statistical, or field research support.
5. The works must not be pending resolution in any other competition nor have been previously awarded.
6. In any modality, in addition to the specific requirements for each category, a brief financial justification (free format) must be attached, stating whether the applicant wishes or needs to request financial support, which is subject to the availability of resources.
7. The event organizers, in collaboration with INET-YSI, will provide financial support to partially cover the travel expenses of some selected students, subject to the availability of resources.

Modality A. Thesis in progress (master’s or doctoral)

1. Master’s or doctoral theses that are in progress and present substantive advances may be submitted, such as:

a) Critical and systematic review of the state of the art.

b) Clearly defined and justified methodology.

c) Partial results or relevant analytical advances.

1. Include a letter of recommendation written in Spanish or English.
2. Extended summary of the research in progress, written in Spanish or English, containing up to 6,500 words and covering the following elements:

• Justification: clearly define the research question and the main objective of the thesis; describe the expected contribution of the study in terms of originality and relevance to the field.
• Literature review: position the research within the relevant literature and theoretical debates, including the definition of critical concepts, the identification of key analytical dimensions, the logic of the argument and supporting hypotheses (if applicable), and contextualize the study (sector, region, or case of application).
• Methodological proposal: detail the empirical strategy, methodological design, case selection (for qualitative studies), and data collection procedures and sources (for quantitative studies).
• Preliminary results: present preliminary findings and implications.
• References: a list of all cited references in APA style.

Modality B. Completed theses (master’s or doctorate)

1. In the case of completed theses, one distinction will be awarded for the master’s degree and another for the doctorate.
2. Theses must have been defended between August 2023 and December 2025 and be submitted in Spanish or English.
3. Participants must submit the following documents in separate files:

a) The complete thesis in PDF format.

b) Proof of defense.

c) A summary of no more than 10 pages (1.5 line spacing, Times New Roman font, size 12), including the title, objectives, methodology, and results.

d) A summary of the author’s curriculum vitae, with full name and contact information (address, telephone number with international dialing code, email, and country of residence).

Modality C. Young researchers

1. For this category, applicants must be 40 years of age or younger as of December 31, 2025.
2. An article or book chapter published in Spanish or English between August 2023 and December 2025 will be evaluated. Works may be individual or collective, with a maximum of three authors.
3. The following must be submitted:

a) The article or book chapter in PDF format.

b) An additional file with a summary of the author’s or authors’ curriculum vitae, including contact details for receiving communications (address, telephone number with international dialing code, email, and country of residence).

Final provisions

1. Each author may submit only one work.
2. The judging panel will be made up of five specialists of recognized prestige in topics related to innovation, in accordance with the thematic lines defined in the Conference call for papers.
3. The jury’s decision will be final and any of the categories may be declared void.
4. Entries will be accepted from the day after the publication of this call for entries until 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2026. Entries should be sent to the following email addresses: congresoridit@gmail.com , congresoridit@cetys.mx indicating the participation modality in the subject line.
5. Submissions that do not comply with the provisions set forth in these guidelines will be excluded from the contest.
6. The judging panel will resolve any issues not covered in these rules.
7. The contest will take place on June 15 and 16, 2026, as part of the activities of the XII RIDIT International Congress. Each selected participant must give a brief presentation of their work, according to the corresponding modality.
8. The award ceremony will take place on the date stipulated by the Organizing Committee of the 12th RIDIT International Conference, to be held from June 15 to 19, 2026, at the University of Costa Rica.
9. To be eligible for this award, applicants must attend and participate in the 12th RIDIT International Conference (https://www.riditmx.org/congresos).