U.S. Ambassador Sees High-Tech Economy in the Making in Mexico’s Silicon Valley

US Ambassador Wayne discusses new research initiatives with design engineers inside Intel's Guadalajara lab

US Ambassador Wayne tours the enterprise incubation facility at ITESO, where young entrepreneurs build high-tech futures

Guadalajara, Jal., 14 October 2011 --- U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Anthony Wayne today saw the makings for the 21st century, high-technology economy for Mexico and the United States during visits to Intel Corporation’s Guadalajara Design Center (GDC)  and the enterprise incubation program at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Tlaquepaque.

Speaking at ITESO, Ambassador Wayne praised the support provided by the program to local start-ups, several of which are selling to U.S. companies.  He said, “Such support for innovation is essential for development in a high-tech economy.  In addition to the high-tech sector, the work being done at all of the companies in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone shows what can happen when you have a good combination of investment and commitment to a certain task – creating jobs, building infrastructure, and creating the ‘brand name’ of Guadalajara.”  With support from state and federal governments, ITESO recently inaugurated a second incubator facility that will enable the program to provide key consulting services for up to 100 new businesses in sectors such as electronic design, software development, and medical devices.

During his visit to the GDC, Intel’s largest site in Mexico and the base of all its development activities in Mexico, Ambassador Wayne spoke with engineers and chip designers about the cutting-edge research they are conducting for Intel and their important work to validate products produced by Intel R&D centers around the world.  “One of the opportunities made possible by the integration of our two economies is the opportunity to collaborate on innovative technologies that produce growth and new industries,” he observed.  Well over 90 percent of Intel’s engineers in Guadalajara are from Mexico, and the company maintains strong ties with the local workforce and business community.  Several employees serve as guest lecturers and professors at local universities while Intel has extensive youth education programs in Mexico.  Intel’s new LEED Gold-certified facility, scheduled to open in 2012, will include space to help small- and medium-sized Mexican enterprises develop products and forge relationships with U.S. companies.