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The challenge: to catalyze the regional knowledge, talent, and technological resources in order to generate high value-added economic activities.
Guanajuato is a state in the central region of Mexico with a solid research infrastructure and a dynamic economy based in both a large agro-industrial production and manufacturing activities primarily in the auto, machine and equipment, processed foods, and leather industries. Researchers working in the various universities and research centers in the state conduct research that often is at the forefront of the knowledge frontier worldwide. However, until very recently the links between academy and industry were infrequent and the knowledge and technologies developed in the various research centers were rarely translated into income, employment, or in the creation of new companies for the region. Furthermore, as in many other Latin regions, Guanajuato was facing the great challenge of transforming its productive infrastructure in order to participate more actively in the knowledge economy and to develop high value-added economic activities.
LatIPnet, triggering Guanajuato’s potential through regional and global partnerships
Aware of the potential held in the scientific and technological work developed by researchers throughout the state, as well as of the need to transition into an innovation-based economic development model, in 2008 Guanajuato’s Ministry for Sustainable Economic Development invited LatIPnet to design and implement the Technology Transfer and Commercialization Initiative (TTCI). Since then, this initiative successfully operates along several lines of action in order to strengthen Guanajuato’s regional system of innovation and to generate economic development opportunities through technology licensing deals, strategic alliances, and start-up formation. .
The work conducted by LatIPnet for Guanajuato’s TTCI began with a scouting of the technologies being developed in the different research centers in the state in order to identify those with highest commercial potential in global markets as well as with the highest social impact. Throughout this process, LatIPnet members worked closely with the researchers of the region in order to advise them about potential applications of their technologies and to guide them about global technology and market trends.
Transforming knowledge into tangible income and jobs
Based on the technologies identified, the LatIPnet team has been working with researchers across the state to help them obtain international patents for their discoveries. To date, Guanajuato’s TTCI operated by LatIPnet has helped identify, draft and register in the United States Patent and Trademark Office a total of 13 patents in several scientific specialties, including agro-bio, nanotechnology, new materials and education. Additionally, 3 patents were registered internationally through the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
And in order to generate tangible income and jobs for the state, LatIPnet has mobilized the experience and contacts of its team members in order to establish strategic alliances with leading companies and research centers worldwide in order to help researchers establish licensing deals for their technologies, obtain additional funding through collaborative R&D projects, or to create new technology-based companies.
As an example, LatIPnet has helped researchers at the National Polytechnic Institute’s Advanced Research and Studies Center (CINVESTAV) located in Irapuato both to license its technology and to initiate collaborative R&D projects with large companies leading the chemical and biotechnology sectors such as Pioneer/DuPont and BASF.
Additionally, Guanajuato’s TTCI operated by LatIPnet has helped launch four technology-based companies with high potential in global markets. It is expected that these companies will serve as catalysts in the development of new technologies and new companies in both the biotech and nanotech sectors, propelling the regional economy in this way towards high value-added economic activities.
Strengthening the institutional infrastructure for intellectual property protection and technology transfer
And to strengthen the institutional infrastructure that allows researchers to link their research work with societal needs and with market opportunities, Guanajuato’s TTCI operated by LatIPnet works actively with the different research centers in the state, including CIMAT, CIO, ITESI, CINVESTAV, and LANGEBIO in order to establish best technology transfer practices in each of them. As part of these capability building activities, LatIPnet has organized several working sessions with U.S. attorneys specialized in intellectual property. In these sessions researchers and administrators in Guanajuato have been able to discuss at length the technology transfer process as well as the practical aspects related with intellectual property protection. .
Promoting global connections to generate new opportunities in Guanajuato
Since launching Guanajuato’s TTCI, LatIPnet has continually generated new opportunities for Guanajuato through the promotion of global connections with global talent and organizations. As one of these activities to promote global synergies, LatIPnet has organized several encounters where researchers, businessmen, and government officials from Guanajuato have been able to meet leading researchers and executives working in prestigious organizations from around the world. These encounters have included representatives from global companies such as CISCO, DuPont, HP, BASF as well as researchers from the prestigious research center SRI International. Through these encounters actors in the state of Guanajuato have been able to learn about global technology and market trends. They have also allowed regional actors to explore opportunities for global partnerships. In this way, LatIPnet seeks to support the efforts promoted by regional leaders in Guanajuato to re-direct the economic activities in the state and to create new opportunities in high-growth sectors such as the aerospace, new materials, and clean tech industries.
Additionally, LatIPnet has helped to attract successful technology-based companies, companies with a presence both in Mexico or Latin America and the United States, in order to establish partnerships with companies and research centers in Guanajuato. As an example, LatIPnet promoted a collaborative partnership between Guanajuato’s Mathematics Research Center (CIMAT) and the company Prefixa, a successful Mexican company with a global presence that develops high precision technologies for the 3D inspection of industrial processes. Through this partnership with Prefixa, CIMAT is finding applications for its knowledge and receiving in turn funding to develop new image processing algorithms.
LatIPnet has also promoted the HIT (Health Information Technologies) project in Guanajuato that seeks to create employment opportunities in Guanajuato in the health IT sector. This initiative seeks to take advantage of fundamental changes occurring in the health, IT, and computer industries in order to position Guanajuato as a leading center globally in this field and to create an ecosystem for the formation and new companies and for the attraction of global technology companies.
Finally, in 2009, Guanajuato’s TTCI operated by LatIPnet organized a visit to Silicon Valley in California in which researchers from Guanajuato and representatives from the Ministries of Education and Sustainable Economic Development explored collaboration opportunities and established partnerships with a variety of companies and research centers in this leading high-tech region.
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