On top of being a hub for local entrepreneurship, the Innovation Center works hard to spread its knowledge beyond the United States. For the first two weeks of February, the Innovation Center hosted a group of Latin America entrepreneurs from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru who were interested in establishing manufacturing businesses.
During Feb. 2nd – Feb. 13th, the Innovation Center, through a strategic partnership with Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC), provided participants of the Latin America IdEA Partnership (La Idea) Incubator Program with a two week long workshop. During this time TMAC gave La Idea participants training on technical topics related to advanced manufacturing, while the Innovation Center provided training on business topics.
In addition to the Innovation Center, only two other incubators were chosen to host La Idea and provided topics on agribusiness and health services. The Innovation Center’s program specifically outlined advanced manufacturing.
Through targeted topics, the Innovation Center hoped to equip burgeoning entrepreneurs with the knowledge to expand their businesses in the United States and beyond.
According to the article titled “The United States and Pacific Alliance Advance Cooperation on Entrepreneurship” on the U.S. Department of State website, “The program offers entrepreneurs in the Pacific Alliance special access to the U.S. network of business incubators to facilitate mutual investment opportunities and to support the Alliance’s visionary efforts to build the next generation of innovative, globally competitive companies.”
The Innovation Center’s goal for La Idea was to prepare participants to engage in international trade by teaching the requirements for doing business in the United States, how to expand business operations in a sustainable way , and give a thorough understanding of the U.S. market and opportunities within it.
The La Idea program is just one example of how the Innovation Center utilizes its resources and partnerships to share practices in business and entrepreneurship.
For more information:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/12/235517.htm
http://www.tamucc.edu/news/2015/01/013015%20US%20Aid.html#.VM-ZMJ3F98F