Mexican Auto Tech Biz Incubator To Open In TechTown

The Mexican government and a Mexican foundation have opened TechBA, an acronym for Technology Business Accelerator, in Detroit's TechTown.

TechBA, created by the Mexican Ministry of Economy in alliance with the United States-Mexico Foundation for Science, supports Mexican companies with the potential to become global firms.

The foundation, based in Washington D.C. and Mexico City, is a not-for-profit organization created by the late former U.S. Rep. George E. Brown in 1992 as a collaboration between Mexico and the United States to promote and support scientific and technological initiatives. The foundation manages TechBA for the Ministry of Economy, the equivalent of the U.S. Commerce Department.

TechBA has already established business incubators in Silicon Valley, California; Austin, Texas; Montreal, Québec and Madrid, Spain.

TechBA was celebrated in a gala event Wednesday night at the Detroit Institute of Arts, attended by roughly 200 people, including representatives from most of the organizations TechBA is tied in to -- the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Wayne County, the United States Automotive Partnership for Advancing Research & Technologies, the Michigan Small Business Technology Development Centers, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association and others.

TechBA-Michigan will focus its efforts mainly in the automotive technology sector.

Companies to be based at TechBA-Michigan include Tarton, a Monterey maker of ecological cardboard pallets for exporters; Air Design, a Chernavaca specialty auto supplier; Automotive Inspection Group, an engineering consulting firm from Matamoros; Industrios Forza, a Jiutepec auto assembly line maker; Inovasys, an Atizapan materials handling and welding firm; Americas Plating, a Mexicali plating firm involved in plating for the auto and aerospace industries; Cayuna Nacional, a rack and stamping products provider from Leon; Grupo SSC, a design and engineering firm from San Miguel de Allende; Macro M, a polymers maker from Lerma; Genesis de Baha Galifornia, a Mexicali carbon fiber molding firm; Ingenieria Avanzada en Manufactura de Mexico, a Monterey aluminum die casting firm; Manufactura, Consultocia y Montajeo Groupo, a Tepotzotlan maker of conveyors and materials handling firm; M&G Autopartes, a Mexico City maker of auto electronics; Siralco, an Atizapan provider of welding and plasma cutting; Total Components Solution, a Toluca maker of metal shafts; Industrias Automotices RC, a Mexico City maker of vibration control products; Samco SA, a Mexico City maker of machined parts; Precision Moderna, a Nancalpara maker of machined parts; Reme SA, a Queretaro maker of machined parts.

Raúl Carvajal, CEO of TechBA-Michigan, will guide the first 18 companies as they form and expand partnerships in Michigan.

Gary Krause, the MEDC's director of special projects, pointed out that Michigan has more than 300 vehicle research and development firms with 60,000 employees doing $11 billion a year in privately funded research.

Guillermo Fernández de la Garza, president of the foundation, said TechBA-Michigan features "an outstanding cohort of companies. They are already at work here. From what I have seen it is an excellent opportunity for them and an excellent opportunity for Michigan."

Randal Charlton, TechTown director, noted that both TechBA and TechTown are poised "in a unique location and a unique time. We're in a time where a lot of things are going to change, and we're positioned in Detroit to be at the center of that change."

For further information about TechBA-Michigan, please contact Michael Hartman, Senior Business Development Advisor, at (313) 483-0389 or (248) 660-6475 or  william.m.hartman@techba.com.