New collaborations strengthen relations across Latin America

August has been a busy month for IASP members across Latin America, with new partnerships, exchanges and collaboration initiatives strengthening connections between innovation ecosystems in Argentina, Brazil and Panama. From cooperation between cities to new opportunities for companies and entrepreneurs, these developments highlight the value of international networks in bringing innovation communities closer together and creating opportunities across borders. 

Polo Tecnológico Rosario (Argentina), a recent addition to the IASP network, is strengthening connections with fellow IASP members across the region through a series of cooperation agreements and initiatives supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration between innovation ecosystems.

As part of these initiatives, they recently signed a mutual cooperation agreement with Ciudad del Saber in Panama, opening the door to new collaboration between the two ecosystems. Conversations between the two organisations began with Janelle Castrellón, in connection with her role as IASP Latin American Division President. The agreement includes initial joint initiatives, including soft-landing programmes to support companies from each ecosystem in accessing new markets.

They also received a visit by a delegation from Tecnopuc and Porto Alegre, Brazil, to exchange experiences around the development of "Pactos por la Innovación" (Innovation Pacts), a model that Polo Tecnológico has been actively working on in Rosario, drawing on Porto Alegre’s experience. A key outcome was progress towards the signing of a collaboration agreement designed to strengthen the relationship between the two cities and create new opportunities for collaboration.

The connection between the two countries also extended to other innovation spaces in Argentina. In addition to meeting the team and touring Polo Tecnológico Rosario's facilities, representatives from Tecnopuc and Porto Alegre, Jorge Audy and Luiz Carlos Pinto da Silva, visited Buenos Aires Innovation Park and Parque Empresarial Austral, where they met Silvina Terroni, Executive Director and Daniel Pelegrina, Director of Institutional Public Relations. Discussions focused on new opportunities for cross-border cooperation, building on shared interests among the participating innovation communities. 

The delegation’s visit to Parque de Innovación Buenos Aires also coincided with the launch of its new Board of Advisors, bringing together leaders and experts from different innovation ecosystems. Yamil Santoro, Executive Director of Buenos Aires Innovation Park, and Julia Faita, Coordinator of International Cooperation, hosted the launch event presided by the Chief of Government of Buenos Aires Jorge Macri. The new Advisory Board includes fellow IASP members Jorge Audy from Tecnopuc, Carina Rapetti, who also forms part of the IASP Advisory Council, Josep Piqué from La Salle Technova Barcelona, as well as Esteban Cassin, former IASP Latin American Division President.

Together, these developments illustrate how IASP members in Argentina, Brazil and Panama are using the network to build relationships, exchange experience and develop practical opportunities for collaboration. By connecting innovation spaces across borders, the IASP community helps create stronger links between ecosystems and supports the internationalisation of companies and entrepreneurs.