Monterrey’s Innovation District participates in World Economic Forum

With the aim of sharing advances in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Monterrey, the Innovation District, developed by DistritoTec, was invited to a summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The World Economic Forum’s “Urban Transformation Summit 2023” event was held from October 9 to 12 in Detroit, USA.

On the “Global Partnerships” panel, Mario Adrián Flores, Vice President of the Monterrey Region and General Director of Monterrey Campus, talked about the Tec’s experience of developing the Monterrey Innovation District to communicate science and technology through art and innovation.

“We’re developing a larger view of what innovation districts should be like.

“We believe that we can have a greater impact by connecting with the community and minimizing the gap between between science, technology, and society through the dissemination of the arts,” Flores said.

As a member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts, DistritoTec was invited to participate in the summit along with 26 other innovation districts, such as the Melbourne Innovation District in Australia.

This WEF event also brought together Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland, Hawazen Esber, CEO of Majd Al Futtaim, Barbara Humption, CEO of SIEMENS Corporation, and Jonathan Rockford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.

The Innovation District developed by DistritoTec aims to promote innovation, research, and entrepreneurship among all members of the district.

“We’re developing a larger view of what innovation districts should be like.”

Innovation for everyone

At the summit, Mario Adrián Flores talked about the progress of the Innovation District, such as its partnership with The Global Network of Science Gallery International to promote the arts in innovation.

“We joined the network with seven other leading universities united around a singular mission, to encourage creativity and discovery where science and art collide.

“Our official inauguration and signing of the MOU took place in November 2022, when we became the first Science Gallery in Latin America,” said Flores.

Science Gallery Monterrey held a pop-up called JUMPSTART, an exhibition at the Monterrey campus that included works from three different Science Galleries: Atlanta, Melbourne, and London.

“Next year, Science Gallery Monterrey will be in the new Expedition building, a strategic location in the heart of the Innovation District.

“It will be accessible to the community and open to the public; a place for the important conversations that need to be had in order for humanity to move forward,” said the general director.

The gallery will be located on the second floor of Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Expedition building and will include works by local artists.

About the Innovation District

The Tec started phase two of DistritoTec with the construction of the Expedition building, a project that is working on building a collaborative ecosystem for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Located within the “innovation cluster” of DistritoTec, Expedition promotes the consolidation of an Innovation District in the city that brings together society, institutions, and government.

The goal is to develop an environment that generates knowledge-based jobs; fosters urban, economic, and social inclusion; and is an example of sustainability, safety, social inclusion, education, and health.

Expedition will be a multidisciplinary space between academia, industry, and society that generates scientific and technology-based knowledge to provide solutions to the challenges facing humanity.

It will have seven levels, of which the first two floors will be open to the public, and the third to the seventh will be private spaces specializing in generating useful knowledge that is of value to society.
 

• Level 1: “The Door to the Future,” will house the Science Gallery, Concept Restaurant, and Experimental Shop.
   
• Level 2: “Community with Purpose,” will house Venture Café, an Incubator, and a Maker Space.
   
• Level 3: “Knowledge in Action,” will include the Futures DesignLab, an accelerator, and a Fintech lab.
   
• Level 4: “Institute for the Future of Education,” will be a space dedicated to research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
   
• Level 5: “Institute for Obesity Research,” will be a space for the physical, mental, and emotional health of individuals.
   
• Level 6: “Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing,” will be a space that aims to combine efforts to create more sustainable materials and processes.
   
• Level 7: “Feasible Life in 100 years,” will be a space dedicated to generating solutions to environmental, social, economic, and political problems facing the planet.
  
  
   

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