New connections strengthen collaboration across Latin America

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

A recent visit by a delegation from Tecnopuc and Porto Alegre, Brazil, brought together several members of our innovation community in Argentina and created opportunities to exchange experiences and explore new areas of cooperation. 

The visit provided an opportunity to exchange experiences around the construction 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 of the visit was progress towards the signing of a collaboration agreement meant to strengthen the relationship between the two cities and create new collaboration opportunities. 

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 Silva, also visited Buenos Aires Innovation Park and Parque Empresarial Austral. Discussions focused on new opportunities for cross-border cooperation, building on the shared interests of the 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. The new board includes Jorge Audy from Tecnopuc, IASP Advisory Council member Carina Rapetti and Josep Piqué from La Salle Technova Barcelona, creating further links between the organisations and the wider IASP community. 

In addition to the Brazilian-Argentinian connection, Polo Tecnologico also signed a mutual cooperation agreement with Ciudad del Saber in Panama. Conversations between both parks started with Janelle Castrellón in connection with her role as IASP Latin American division President. The agreement opens the door to initial joint initiatives, including soft-landing programmes to support companies from each ecosystem in accessing new markets. 

Together, these developments reflect the role of innovation spaces as connectors within and across regions, showing how international networks can bring innovation ecosystems closer together, creating opportunities to exchange experiences, develop new partnerships and support the internationalisation of companies across borders.