By Francisco del Cid

The ASPIRE project’s first research assistantship pilots with industry are concluding, yeilding very interesting results. The research assistantships allowed students to explore topics of applied research, in partnership with industry stakeholders. Students’ devoted their knowledge, and enhanced their professional skills in areas extending beyond their academic field, while producing new and innovative research for their industry collaborators.

Industry and Academia collaborate

One such pilot included Diego Alejandro Méndez Hernández, a student in his final year studying Mechatronics Engineering at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) Central Campus. Diego collaborated with VEDEX, a company located in Monjas, Jalapa. Their challenge entailed devising strategies to enhance process efficiency and streamline documentation standardization in a green bean processing plant. Initial objectives included:

1.Analyze current processes from reception to packaging of the product, in order to identify and propose improvements to increase current production.

2.Assess the documentation, measurement, and benchmark methods that VEDEX uses for green bean processing, standardization, and optimization.

3.Assess the current infrastructure and machinery in order to propose improvements, and commission new automatized equipment focused on improving process efficiency.

Presentation of results of the research assistance pilot by Diego Mendez (Photo UVG/ASPIRE)

Seeing results

The project resulted in many new, useful products, including, but not limited to:

1. A proposal aimed at improving efficiency in the packaging process operation, resulting in an increase in production by 20.86%.

2. Nine process flowcharts covering workspaces across the plant, from reception of raw materials to packaging of the finished product.

3. Five new company floorplan blueprints to improve use of physical space.

4. A visual production analysis that identified productivity trends in the selection and packaging operations.

5. Standardizing 11 company document formats (data sheets, sampling, reports, controls, instructions, and indexes).

6. A proposal to improve in-the-field sampling processes.

Creating so many useful products for VEDEX benefitted both Diego and the company. VEDEX’s manager took the initiative to write a letter, recognizing the efforts put in by Diego and the ASPIRE team, stating “The company Vegetales de Exportación y Derivados S.A. acknowledges and appreciates the support provided during the consultation of our vegetable processing and packaging plant.”

Diego commented that his biggest challenge in the pilot was analyzing industry variables such as production, efficiency, time, methods, plant layout, etc. At the same time, it was also the area that generated the most satisfaction in his experience. He mentioned “I liked this area so much that I would be interested in continuing my studies in a master’s degree in an industrial field.”

In addition to the letter, Engineer Edgar Ramos, VEDEX Administrative Manager, commented on his experience in the project, stating “For Vedex, the support in knowledge, dedication, and professionalism of the ASPIRE / UVG team was of great help. The information generated will be very useful for making future decisions about the improvements we want to implement, and will help us reduce implementation time. We are very grateful for the support.”

Presentation of letters of recognition for the performance in the project (Edgar Ramos, Francisco del Cid, Diego Mendez, Walter Escobar) (Photo: UVG/ASPIRE)

Walter Escobar, Plant Manager, also commented on his experience, saying “The information provided is thorough, and now it is up to us to produce successful results in the future. Again, thank you very much and congratulations for this information, which will be very useful for our company.”

Francisco del Cid, ASPIRE researcher and advisor to Diego Méndez on this project, shared, “Being a part of ASPIRE and its pilot projects is a privilege that carries with it the responsibility of replicating the entire experience so that it has a multiplier effect for the benefit of the companies and their collaborators.”

About ASPIRE

The ASPIRE Project is a five-year, $15 million project funded by USAID and implemented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT), with the goal of creating a world-class, replicable model for how Latin American universities, in collaboration with the private sector, government, and local communities, can respond to local and regional development needs. The project implements a collaborative approach to research, teaching, innovation, entrepreneurship, and tech transfer, based on the combination of local assets and knowledge with MIT’s experience in the innovation ecosystem.