Tijuana- a space for innovation
By Adina Moloman
Sources: Tijuana Economic Development Corporation, MIND Hub, BIT Center
Legislation and institutions are working together in the State of Baja California in order to foster Science Research, Innovation and Technology. To boost competitiveness through innovation is the latest focus in the Baja California region. Last year the Congress of Baja California state approved a new law to promote innovation and create the framework for the operation of Baja California’s Research, Innovation and Technological Development system.
Private and public technological initiatives of the past two years in Tijuana: the Business Innovation and Technology Center, MIND Hub, and the Ignitus Program, among others.
The Business Innovation and Technology Center is a program launched by one of the largest high-tech trade association in Mexico, CANIETI with the cooperation of the academia (UABC) and the public sector (SEDECO, ISSSTECALI), in order to gather a diverse set of companies, freelancers and different private and public sources of capital to work on high tech innovation programs.
MIND Hub or Mexico Innovation and Development Hub is a private initiative where high tech entrepreneurs can collaborate at a bi national level. MIND Hub supports and also funds new technology business opportunities and startups in the Baja California-California region. MIND Hub foster’s a small number of startups that offer their services in different industries such as medical, education, business solutions and financial, most of them related to Tijuana Manufacturing activities.
Tijuana Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to helping transnational corporations establishes their manufacturing in Mexico operations under the Mexico Maquiladora Program, last year lunched its technology and innovation program called Ignitus. This program consists in gathering entrepreneurs, investors, trade agencies, incubators, international mentors, etc. Participants of this program also have access to international markets through strategic alliances with the Mexican Council for foreign trade and the U.S Department of Commerce.
Baja California is one of the top five states in Mexico in the investment of government and private capital for science, technology and innovation programs such as Tijuana hosting the world’s first program dedicated to building new businesses around artificial intelligence.
