Quintana Roo’s First STEM Center Opens in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa unveiled the first Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Center in Quintana Roo and the southeastern region during a ceremony at the newly reopened Planetario Sayab in Playa del Carmen. The event was attended by Francisco Wilson Robles, Director General of Academia STEM Iberoamérica, among other officials.

A Milestone for Education and Innovation

Governor Lezama emphasized the center’s role in making science accessible to youth. “Today, we celebrate a step that will mark an entire generation. Here in Playa del Carmen, we inaugurate the first STEM Center in the state—a space where children and young people can discover science not as something distant, but as part of their daily lives,” she stated.

The governor also signed the New Agreement for Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo to promote STEM education, ensuring access to workshops, courses, and activities that enhance academic and professional growth.

Facilities and Funding

The STEM Center features seven specialized laboratories:

• Mobile Robotics (VEX VRC/VEX U)
• Collaborative Robotic Arms (Dobot Room)
• Multidisciplinary Laboratory
• Pre-Basic Mobile Robotics (VEX GO)
• Basic Mobile Robotics (VEX IQ)
• Cinema STEM 3D
• Artificial Intelligence and Internet Laboratory

The total investment for the project amounts to 7 million pesos, with 4.5 million pesos contributed in-kind through technological equipment donated by Academia STEM, a nonprofit organization. The remaining 2.5 million pesos were sourced from electoral fines administered by the Quintana Roo Electoral Institute (IEQROO).

Renovation of Planetario Sayab

The Planetario Sayab, which had not undergone renovations since its inauguration nine years ago, received a comprehensive upgrade to modernize its facilities for both locals and visitors.

Statements from Officials

Estefanía Mercado, President of the DIF Quintana Roo, highlighted the center’s significance in preparing youth for the future. “They will come here to build a future that is already underway,” she remarked.

Cristopher Malpica Morales, Director General of the Quintana Roo Council of Humanities, Sciences, and Technologies (COQHCYT), projected that the center will benefit approximately 3,500 children and adolescents annually.

Attendees

The event was also attended by:

• Jorge Arturo Sanén Cervantes, President of the State Congress’s Governing Board and Political Coordination
• Mildred Concepción Ávila Vera, Deputy of the LXVI Legislature

The inauguration marks a pivotal advancement in STEM education for Quintana Roo, aligning with broader efforts to foster innovation and scientific literacy in the region.