A successful start

The Steinbeis Network takes root in Mexico

On May 3, 2011, Germany’s president Christian Wulff took time out of his state visit to Mexico to attend the signing of the agreement that officially founds Steinbeis Mexico. With its Neo-Mudéjar architecture, the famous theater in the colonial-era city of Guanajuato was the perfect backdrop for the signing. The founding of the Steinbeis technology network in Mexico is a first for the German international technology and business partnership.

Signing the agreement (l-r): Lic. Rodrigo Lanuza (Steinbeis Mexico), Luis de la Peña (USEM Business Association), Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Johann Löhn (Steinbeis University Berlin), Lic. Ramon Alfaro (Economics minister, Guanajuato), PSts. Hans-Joachim Otto (German Ministry of Economics, BMWi), Johannes Hauser (Delegate for the German Economy in Mexico), Dr. Fernando Mendoza (CONACYT Research Center CIO), Enrique Aranda (COPARMEX Leon Business Association)

The signatures on the declaration of association are the result of a wide-ranging process of building consensus – and building on existing foundations. It all started when Wolfgang Wolf (State Association of Baden-Württemberg Industry, or LVI), Jan Bandera (Steinbeis), Joachim Elsässer (LVI) and Günther Schmid (Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Economic Affairs) went to Mexico on a fact-finding mission sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to explore the possibility of a business and technological partnership.

Encouraged by the LVI and with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a delegation of top-ranking business representatives was assembled in November 2010 and flew to Germany. At a ceremony on November 11, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) saw the German BDI and LDI representatives sign an agreement with Mexican representatives of COPARMEX and USEM, two business and economic associations.

Besides fostering bilateral collaboration between companies and business clusters, the partnership focuses on strengthening ties between technology, business and education. This particular aim prompted the Steinbeis Foundation, LVI and COPARMEX to sign a secondary agreement parallel to the main one.

The initiative is already bearing fruit. As part of their planning workshop, the Mexican technology council CONACYT commissioned the Steinbeis Foundation to evaluate ways of applying Steinbeis experience and structures to the situation in Mexico. Mexican business associations are particularly eager to embrace the Steinbeis model, so it makes sense that they are the co-founders of Steinbeis Mexico along with three German partners: Steinbeis, LVI and the German Chamber of Commerce for Mexico.

The Steinbeis Network in Mexico will be responsible for:

founding technology transfer centers at Mexican institutes of higher education (much like Steinbeis Transfer Centers in Germany) and working together with counterpart centers in Germany,
launching and expanding bilateral partnerships between business clusters (such as LR BW, Baden-Württemberg Aerospace Forum, and PU Umwelt) to strengthen entrepreneurial relationships,
launching and supervising bilateral partnerships between universities (such as the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University and Steinbeis University Berlin) to bolster the educational infrastructure particularly for undergraduate and postgraduate students,
supporting CSR initiatives launched by Mexican companies by sharing experience and working with partners in Germany and
bringing German and Mexican businesses closer together by sharing experience and promoting communication in business, technology, environmental and educational policies.

Contact

Jan E. Bandera
Steinbeis Transfer Center Economic and Technology Policy Dialogue (Stuttgart)
su1473@stw.de