At the end of September, CRÓNICAS spoke extensively with Lamé to later extract the most juicy parts of that meeting for an article that would form part of the October special edition for the 35th anniversary of the weekly. " You'll sort it out later, because I talk a lot and I know that everything I say doesn't fit; you clean it up", he announced from the start, knowing that the conversation would take an hour or so to record.
As a tribute, we have chosen some excerpts from this interview to recall his passion for what he did and, at the same time, to highlight the vision of a true pioneer in the field of ICTs in Uruguay.
Two or three concepts thrown out before turning on the tape recorder gave a glimpse of how enthusiastic he was to preside over CUTI again.
"We worked on a programme proposal, which we actually shared with all the partners of the chamber. The idea was for everyone to participate in order to improve and enrich the plan," he said with a hint of pride in his voice.
One theme was unveiled: human resources training in the sector.
"Ours is an industry that can change people's lives, so it is, I think, a very interesting industry for young people," he reflected at the beginning of the interview.
Then, without following much of the thread of the conversation, he emphasised a problem that involves many people who are currently pursuing careers in technology. "A lot of people enter, but very few graduate, i.e. they don't finish. There could be two problems. One that has been identified is that companies take students out before they graduate, given the demand and the need for human resources. Companies are looking for people, and those people also want to work. And while it is an industry that pays well, it also continues to train, because you continue to train within the company. What you learn at school is 30 per cent of what you will need after three or four years of work. So, what ends up happening is that many people don't come back. At the same time, there are a lot of people who drop out, and we'll have to find out the reasons for that," he said.
It was his turn to refer to the educational proposal, and he was forceful in his assessment: "There is an educational proposal that we will have to modernise and adapt to the needs of the industry and the new generations. We have to get our act together and give good advice to the youngsters, show them what the industry is, how attractive it is, how it pays, the type of work that is done". To continue with the concept, he agreed with Nicolás Jodal, who believes that children, just like artists, should be given a place to express themselves. "Because here it's not about desks like in other activities, it's more of a workshop of expression, because a programmer is creating," he added.
"We have to go out and look for young people and motivate them to come. We have to do a very consistent job with that. Sometimes we do one or two activities thinking that this is enough, but it's not. What we do know is that we need a lot more people in training," he said.
In the talk, he questioned the contribution that the Ceibal Plan could make as a gateway to the sector.
"The CUTI has yet to sit down and talk. What we are trying to do is identify where we have problems, where we can act with little and where we can do it with a different demand for resources. I think we have to create a taste for programming and innovation in the DNA of the kids. On the recreational side, I think there is room for growth. Of course we have to invest; it is necessary to work with children, with specialists, but it is a task that has to be done because, otherwise, the sector will not grow. And it would be a shame because, if we train people, it is the only industry that has no limits," he said.
Then it was the turn of the role of governments in the development of these technologies, and the atypical case in this regard in our country.
"All ICT industries in the world that have grown a lot have done so because governments have focused on it. Uruguay is probably an exception, because it grew mainly because a very good generation of professionals came together. But precisely today I don't think we are in a situation where we are asking too much of the state. We do believe that there are things that are not investment but, all of a sudden, concessions. There is a great opportunity and a great need for companies in other sectors to incorporate technology, because they are still far behind in innovation and technology. Through innovation and technology you can improve management and increase efficiency. Sometimes it costs a bit because they are investments, but what we want is to have a tax benefit for companies that invest in software. And just as it was done for electronic invoicing, we also want to do the same with ICTs", he explained.
In his opinion, in the area of education, the sector can be helped by organisations such as Inefop. "Inefop has a lot of money, so one thinks that it should spend, because if it is designed to train people, it is necessary to invest. It cannot be that we are not spending on that. It is a public institution that we have in Uruguay to train workers and it is the only one that has money to spare; it's crazy. There is no money anywhere else and there are about 60 million dollars. I don't want to criticise but, in the end, there we have a space with resources to train people", he claimed.
But their demand went beyond the economic aspect, seeking the involvement of all actors: agencies, ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "What we most want from them is that they support us and give us their trust. We are a mature, professional sector, so if we want to go out and ask for funds from an international organisation to develop further, they should support us in that. What we want is to focus on this industry so that it grows and generates human resources. Today we have companies selling in more than 50 countries. The truth is that the industry has reached a level where you have to take your hat off to it," he emphasised.
The constant evolution of technology was no obstacle for Lamé to give a futuristic vision of the industry in the country.
"We are a reference at regional level because at some point we conquered positions and got there, but then we lose them. The others are also doing things and we often rest on our laurels; that is one of our shortcomings. By correcting the basic problems we have in resource development, we can continue to make progress. If you have a good human resources offer, a good educational offer, there are companies that start to look at you from other places. If we can make an impact there, we will take a big step forward. It is an industry that is going to be an agent of change in the traditional industry, contributing technology and instruments for development", he said at the end of the talk.
By Oscar Cestau | @OCestau
Alvaro Lamé, above all, a great guy.
It was around 1994. A mutual friend asked me to attend the inauguration of Álvaro's company, Lamé Stratta y Asociados. That day, I remember, we had the closing of the weekly and with a lot of luck, despite the hour, we were able to report on the event in our pages. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Alvarito, as we always called him. The rest is history. Soon, with Netgate, he became a national and international reference, an expert on the internet and through the net, on all the ways to use it.
For CRÓNICAS, Alvaro was an inspiration and a great promoter of our presence on the web. In 1996, thanks to his drive, we managed to upload the entire edition of the weekly, thus initiating our digital participation. The incredible thing was that Álvaro managed to do it in 48 hours, in order to coincide with another colleague who was also going out that week. Thanks to him, our weekly publication was the first to have all its content available to its readers on the web.
When the Empresas & Negocios project emerged in 2009, he did not hesitate to join it, and from the editorial board he was a permanent source of consultation on all issues related to technological aspects.
But, most importantly, beyond his permanent support, what will remain for all of us who knew him, is that he was a great guy, with all that that means.
By Jorge Estellano
Source: Crónicas
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