This article describes the initiative that is being undertaken, in the framework of the IberoAmerican Knowledge Space, to promote knowledge within Latin American universities. This is a direct result of the Ibero-American Network that is being developed to train University-Industry Relationships managers. This article reviews the evolution of the social role of the universities in general, and of the Ibero-American universities in particular, with regard to their involvement in the socio-economic development of their countries and regions. It also describes the needs for new instruments and structures, and therefore for new professionals capable of managing the new instruments of collaboration with socio-economic agents, a need that justifies the initiative described above.