The important role that not only science and technology, but also innovation play in promoting economic growth has been generally accepted. In a knowledge-based society, countries must invest in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to become more competitive and to achieve a better economic and social impact.

Regional involvement could favor the transition to a knowledge-based economy by promoting initiatives to enhance competitiveness. In the country, some initiatives already exist in the 32 states, such as: a state council of science and technology (or an equivalent institution), a legal framework (science and technology laws), and a STI commission at the local Congress.

Monterrey’s STI system has taken important steps to become a key player in the international knowledge economy, but further strategies must be implemented to consolidate the innovation process. Innovation remains a challenge in various sectors, but notably with the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) which provide a significant percentage of the jobs. One approach to identify, integrate, and apply the actions needed is through the development or adoption of interactive models where academia, private sector and government collaborate, considering society and the environment. As an example, the Open Innovation Model (Chesbrough, 2006) was implemented in Nuevo León in 2010 for SME yielding important results such as: over 200 people got involved in the awareness stages of the project, 6 experts were trained as mentors, 60 SME participated in the training phase, 13 prototypes were developed, and 3 applied for a patent.

Some actions are being carried out in the ecosystem of Monterrey, by different actors, to improve or accelerate the innovative performance in the region, such as:

• Update legal and regulatory framework (New Law of Science, Technology and Innovation 2020)
• Involvement of SMEs as suppliers of anchor or big companies (Mind 4.0)
• Strengthening of the interaction between academia and private sector (University for founders and Technology hunts events)
• Increase the positioning of STI in the governmental agenda, avoiding short term horizons (long term plan 30 years)
• Alignment of public policies with priority sectors, and local capabilities (strategic clusters)
• Promotion of knowledge intensive businesses (fostering tech-based entrepreneurship)  
• Institutional frameworks to facilitate mobility and internationalization  
• Capacity building (Human resources and R&D Infrastructure, such as PIIT Researh and Innovation Park))
• Development of, and access to, databases (indicators) to enable more accurate assessments (consolidation of the State System regarding Science, Technology and Innovarion)
• Link human talent and infrastructure to specific demands of the State (initiatives of clusters and Nuevo Leon 4.0)
• Exchange of lessons learned.

If you are an entrepreneur or an innovator involved in a high-impact project, do not hesitate to come to Monterrey to boost your idea. You can start by contacting the key actors of your industry in our ecosystem, using the information presented in the “Strategic Sectors & Stakeholders” in this website.