Merida vs Guadalajara: Mexico’s Technological Competitors

For the past few years, Merida and Guadalajara have been competing to become Mexico's technology hub, striving to create more scientific talent and helping to create disruptive companies. With this, both states aspire to attract investment and be a national benchmark. But what does each region have to offer?

Merida, Security Plus Tourism

Yucatan has been characterized for many years by its security levels. The state government and academic institutions have reached agreements with foreign universities to have a better-prepared workforce. Currently, the University of Miami, through the RAD Lab of its School of Architecture and the Center for Computational Sciences, next to the Science and Technology Park of Yucatan, are designing Zenciti, the first startup city in Mexico.

According to INEGI, the municipalities perceived as the safest in the country are Merida, San Nicolas de los Garza, Saltillo, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. The report revealed that Yucatan is considered the safest state by the population of 18 years of age and older and only 22.8 percent of the citizens perceive insecurity.

In this southeastern state, there is also a boom in the real estate market. Merida, being considered a retirement destination, adds a capital gain to businesses and companies that decide to invest there. “The Mexican southeast is very focused on the tourist real estate, second and retirement market, targeted mostly at people from the US and Canada who decided to come to live in Mexico. Buying real estate in the Mexican southeast is not only about buying property; it is a demographically important area with a lot of added value. This region has had a population growth of 410 percent in the last 16 years”, said in an interview with Mexico Business News Christopher Gill, Commercial Director of SIMCA, a company that has been developing properties around the Mexican southeast for more than 15 years. 

The director of the Institute for Industrial Development and Economic Growth (IDIC) José Luis de la Cruz believes that the dynamism in air terminals in 2019 was because Yucatan is becoming a tourism powerhouse and the most important economic development destination in the south-southeast of the country.

Guadalajara, the ‘Mexican Sillcon Valley’

As one of the main industrial and investment centers in the country, Guadalajara has become an attractive destination for technology companies. Proof of this is that in November 2019, Tecnológico de Monterrey inaugurated the first Artificial Intelligence Hub in Mexico with the aim of promoting the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. The project has funds from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the state government and Tecnológico de Monterrey to promote the use of AI for the provision of social services for three years. 

Another company that has become a beacon for highly specialized talent in the state is Bosch, thanks to its “Guadalajara Connectory” project, which is dedicated to the development of technological solutions with high impact in areas such as agriculture and aerospace, in collaboration with NASA. Ongoing projects address the areas of artificial intelligence and mobility.