Innovation in Mexico: Nobel Insights and the Future of Health

What do the economy, science, and healthcare have in common? The answer is as simple as it is compelling: innovation. In a rapidly changing world, innovation is no longer a luxury reserved for a few; it is a strategic imperative for countries, companies, and sectors. The ability to transform knowledge into tangible solutions is now one of the primary drivers of economic and social development.

This idea was recently recognized when the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for demonstrating how innovation drives sustained growth through the concept of “creative destruction.” Their contribution explains why modern economies cannot rely solely on what already works. Each innovation opens new opportunities, creates industries, and generates jobs, while simultaneously displacing models, practices, and organizations that fail to adapt to change.

In practical terms, countries that consistently invest in research, education, technological infrastructure, and efficient regulatory frameworks are those that achieve sustained and competitive growth. Those that do not embrace this mindset face increasing risks of economic stagnation, brain drain, and loss of relevance in global markets.

At the business level, the logic is similar. Innovation enables organizations to adapt, create value, differentiate themselves, and respond to emerging needs through new products, services, processes, or more agile and efficient business models. Companies that innovate not only strengthen their market position; they also increase productivity, retain skilled talent, and contribute directly to social well-being.

However, innovation does not occur in a vacuum. It requires supportive ecosystems in which the state plays a key enabling role. Its function is not to replace the private sector, but to create the conditions for innovation to flourish: clear legal frameworks, public policies that incentivize research and development, intellectual property protection, and mechanisms that facilitate collaboration among industry, academic, and government.

In strategic sectors such as healthcare, this role is even more relevant. Health research is capital-intensive, long term, and high risk. Therefore, instruments such as tax incentives, public funding, innovative government procurement, and agile regulations can accelerate the arrival of solutions that directly impact people’s quality of life. Innovating in healthcare not only transforms lives; it is a national strategy to strengthen a country’s competitiveness, leadership, and resilience.

The pharmaceutical industry is a clear example of this dynamic. Each new medicine, advanced therapy, or improvement in clinical processes raises the standard of care and transforms how patients are treated. Innovation is not a single concept; it manifests in different forms, each with specific impacts on industry and society.

According to the Oslo Manual, incremental innovation, for example, is reflected in gradual improvements to existing products or processes, such as extended-release tablets or more ergonomic inhalers, that optimize the patient experience and maintain companies’ competitiveness.

Radical innovation involves profound changes that redefine treatments and establish new standards. Advances in immunotherapy have transformed cancer care, displacing traditional treatments into certain types of tumors and opening the door to more personalized, more effective therapies with fewer side effects.

Disruptive innovation, in turn, completely changes the rules of the market. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrated how a new technological platform can accelerate development, improve public health responses, and redefine the future of the industry.

Today, pharmaceutical innovation no longer occurs in isolation. It increasingly depends on strategic collaborations with universities, research centers, and technology companies, integrating artificial intelligence, data analytics, and advanced biotechnology to accelerate the detection of complex diseases and identify therapeutic candidates with greater precision.

Companies in our sector invest billions of dollars globally in research and development not only to create new molecules, but also to optimize clinical trials and production processes. This allows treatments to reach patients faster, with greater safety and efficacy. At the same time, this activity generates scientific knowledge that serves as the foundation for future innovations, develops medical talent, and strengthens healthcare systems.

A concrete example that innovation can advance hand in hand with safety and ethics is the streamlining of regulatory processes. In Mexico, the adoption of simplified models has enabled the approval of high-impact clinical studies in as little as 45 days, without compromising scientific standards or patient protection.

This potential can be further realized through investment plans promoted by the presidency under Plan México, which seeks to attract up to US$2 billion annually by 2030. Thanks to its population diversity, solid hospital infrastructure, and the talent of its physician-researchers, the country has the necessary conditions to consolidate itself as a regional benchmark in clinical research, accelerating the arrival of therapies that address serious and complex diseases, especially in areas where unmet medical needs still exist.

At the company I lead, we know that innovation is not measured solely by the speed at which we research, develop, and make our treatments available to patients, but also by our ability to generate a meaningful and lasting impact on our environment. This is what I call innovating with purpose.

In this sense, innovation also expresses itself in its social dimension, expanding the impact of science beyond the laboratory by promoting initiatives that seek to protect the environment, reduce access gaps, strengthen communities, and build capacity within healthcare systems, especially in contexts where inequalities limit timely care.

The message conveyed by both economic evidence and the lessons of the Nobel Prize is clear: innovation is not optional. It is the foundation of sustainable progress. Investing in it means taking risks, committing for the long term, and accepting that change is inevitable.

For business leaders and decision-makers, the call to action is to actively promote environments that foster innovation, strengthen public-private collaboration, and place people at the center of strategy. Only then can we turn innovation into well-being, competitiveness, and a more prosperous future for the women and men of Mexico.