Following Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto’s visit to Ottawa for the North American Leaders’ Summit, the DMZ and Ryerson University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ProMexico, the federal government agency responsible for helping Mexican companies go global, and LatAm Startups, a non profit that helps Latin American startups scale their businesses.
This MoU provides a framework for these institutions to create joint entrepreneurship programs encouraging entrepreneurs to enter global markets.
“This partnership creates an opportunity for joint ventures aimed at maximizing the impact of international opportunities for entrepreneurs and broadening innovation globally,” said Mohamed Lachemi, president and vice-chancellor of Ryerson University. “We’re delighted to partner with ProMexico and LatAm Startups to provide a bridge for innovative technology businesses to collaborate in various sectors between Canada, Mexico and the rest of Latin America.”
A possible initiative being explored is an exchange program that allows tech entrepreneurs from each location to spend two weeks in the sister incubation centre. Back in September, the DMZ signed an MoU with Innovation Birmingham to set the foundation for joint initiatives that help UK-based and Canadian startups enter each other’s markets. That MoU resulted in the creation of a competition seeking the top startup to spend a week in the sister incubation centre.
“The importance of providing a global network for high-potential startups to scale internationally is immeasurable,” says Francisco N. González Díaz, CEO of ProMexico. “Entrepreneurs from both countries should be given the opportunity to connect with like-minded talent abroad and leverage the wealth of opportunities in a thriving foreign market.”