Drone technology in Tijuana
By Adina Moloman
Sources: San Diego Red, El Pais
Though drone technology has been around for almost a century, today technology has been made them an important tool in military and for non-military applications.
Many drones are built up for civilian applications: they are used to study natural phenomenon such as tornadoes; in Germany they are using them to prevent graffiti damage to trains, in Canada they are used for rescue efforts due to their ability for launching cameras and heat sensors in minutes to find a missing person or in danger; creative companies came with the idea to use them to make deliveries; while Mexico is considering to use them for agriculture applications.
What it is interesting about this technology in Baja California, Mexico is that it doesn’t belong to transnational corporations but to small local entrepreneurs that are benefiting all the advantages of manufacturing in Mexico enhancing the Tijuana Manufacturing sector.
Small local companies in Tijuana are building affordable drone models for less than 1,500 USD with a simple design and a good level of performance: two to six engines, GPS and other heat sensors, video and camera included, telemetry equipment, capacity for up to 3 pounds.
In Tijuana there is a huge opportunity to develop this community by accelerating the growth of startups (high tech entrepreneurs of all kinds). In Mexico the startup phenomenon is relatively new, startups generate 536 million per year (more than double than six years ago), representing 0.6% of the national GDP and have more than 520 business incubators around the country. At a national level Mexican companies are already participating in a business accelerator program called 500startups, which is held in Mountain View, California, every year.
At a regional level, there are making efforts to give the opportunities to local entrepreneurs to make presentations in hopes of being selected for a training program for young companies that will take place in San Diego and Silicon Valley.
