The ICT industry in Baja California, Mexico employs over 74,000 people and contributes 11% to the state's GDP. Previous cluster initiatives like IT@baja and CENI2T helped build the institutional foundations. The current initiative, BIT Center, is a collaboration between the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, the state university UABC, and local government to create a business incubator for ICT companies. Currently utilizing 48% of its capacity, BIT Center aims to replicate its model in Ensenada to support over 100 professionals and further develop the ICT cluster in Baja California.

1. The Construction of The Cluster of Information
Technology and Communication in
Baja California, Mexico
Carlos Alberto Flores Sánchez,
Universidad Autónoma de Baja
California, México
Parallel Session 2.1: Cluster Models Worldwide. Unique Features, Common Challenges

2. Straighforward Overview
• Introduction
• Framework of ICT industry in Baja California
• Previous experiences of cluster construction
• The cluster initiative “BIT Center”
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
• Mexico, Baja California, Tijuana

4. ICT Industry in Baja California
Employees Manufacturing
% from
total Services
% from
total Total
% from
grand total
0-5 8 6% 713 81% 721 71%
6-10 5 3% 81 9% 86 8%
11-30 9 6% 56 6% 65 6%
31-50 12 8% 10 1% 22 2%
51-100 26 18% 8 1% 34 3%
101-250 29 20% 3 0% 32 3%
251 and
above 55 38% 7 1% 62 6%
Grand Total 144 100% 878 100% 1022 100%

5. Baja California´s ICT Industry
• 7% GDP comes from manufacturing, 4% from services
• Population in Baja California 3 millions
– Occupied population by ICT industry: 74,842 in manufacturing, 8, 353
Services
ICT Industry GDP Occupied
Population
Manufacturing 7% 6%
Services 4% 1%
Total Share Baja
California
11% 7%

6. Previous experiences:
Institutional building process
• IT@baja, created in 2004
– PROSOFT
– Promoted by the Entrepreneurial Development Policy
– US market
– Focused on training and certification

7. Institutional building process, cont.
• The Integration Centre of Technological Innovation, CENI2T, 2005
– The Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Baja California
(CICESE)
– Ministry of Economy, through PROSOFT
– SEDECO

8. Institutional building process, cont.
• Center for Global Development (UABC-Softtek)
– Softtek (1982)
– UABC
– SEDECO

9. Institutional building process, cont.
• Business Innovation & Technology Center (BIT Center)
– The Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies
(CANIETI)
– UABC
– SEDECO

10. Agglomeration of ICT´s companies

11. BIT Center
• Actually 48% of his capacity

12. Same formula: BIT Center in Ensenada
• Two Floors, attending aprox. 100 professionals in ICT areas

13. Conclusions
• IT@Baja
• CENI2T
• SOFTEK
• What´s next to BIT Center?

14. The construction of the cluster of information technology
and communication in Baja California, Mexico
November, 2015
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Faculty of Accounting and Administration
Presented by:
Carlos Alberto Flores Sánchez