Objective:

To identify the current state of knowledge regarding the concepts related to research processes, applied research, technological development, experimental development and innovation and its relationship with training processes, in order to obtain and/or strengthen relevant skills. demanded by the current information and knowledge society, for this, it also deepens and analyzes the different definitions that are found regarding competence and its application in current educational processes in the environment of a globalized and interconnected society.

Methodology:

The research, according to the approach given by Jacqueline Hurtado de Barrera from the perspective of the holistic research methodology, is proposed from a descriptive work, with a design, according to the origin of the data, of a documentary type, according to the temporality of the study, it is framed as transactional, likewise, according to the criterion of breadth of focus, it is considered multivariable and according to the criterion of data manipulation, it would be non-experimental, likewise, the approach is qualitative, applying the documentary review technique and the instrument, analysis matrix and sources registry.

For the development of this research, a systematic review was carried out based on the search in different databases and sources of information of a scientific and academic nature, where keywords and Boolean connectors were applied for their adequate segmentation and collection of information during the window. of observation from 2015 to 2022.

In the same way, in this work two types of analysis were carried out, one oriented to the co-occurrence of words and the other to co-authorship of the countries of affiliation of the authors through the VOSViewer software.

Results:

It was identified that both the concepts related to applied research and experimental development and those related to competencies have different characteristics and approaches according to the perspective being analyzed, which can range from a business point of view through a academic perspective and ending with a more humanistic look, everything results in proposing structured definitions that strengthen the knowledge of the complex interactions of the subject with the object and how from these interactions, the subject can improve its context.

Conclusions:

It was possible to identify that the contribution of applied research activities and experimental development through educational processes oriented to formative research can strengthen the skills demanded by the current society, information and knowledge from different dimensions, that is, from the generic competencies made up of basic competencies and transversal competencies up to specific competencies framed mainly by technical competencies specifically related to their area of ​​training.