Purpose This paper seeks to present a proposal to change the form in which knowledge is produced in Colombia. Design/methodology/approach Discusses the key issue – to transform the way in which the production of knowledge is currently taking place at the university level. Findings To be able to increase the production of knowledge in this country there is a need to create bonds among industrial, governmental, and academic institutions. It is believed that this can be done by the development of a system capable of continuously forming researchers at a doctoral level. Originality/value The paper puts forward a proposal for the construction of such a system based on the developments of organizational cybernetics. The proposal is based on the concept of autonomy which is crucial to solve this problem.