Entrepreneurship in Mexico: How Talent, Technology, and Ecosystems Are Shaping the Future

As global companies look to innovate and grow, leveraging talent in Mexico has become a strategic advantage. We are living in a global context marked by geopolitical fragmentation, rapid technological acceleration, and the reconfiguration of supply chains. In this environment, entrepreneurship must be understood as a structural driver of economic development. It is no longer only about creating startups, but about building ecosystems capable of transforming knowledge into productive impact, innovation into viable companies, and talent into sustained growth — especially for businesses expanding operations in Mexico.

As part of our ongoing effort to share practical insights with the business community, Prodensa’s experts attended the panel “Developing Entrepreneurship for the Future” during STS Forum LATAM 2025. Drawing from the perspectives shared during this discussion, we are publishing this article to share key insights with business leaders and investors seeking to operate or expand in Mexico and North America.

Panelists emphasized that the future of entrepreneurship will depend on the ability of countries and regions to align talent, infrastructure, capital, mentorship, and long-term vision. Within this ecosystem, the productive sector and strategic partners play a role just as critical as academia or financial institutions.

Talent Exists—What’s Missing Is the Environment

Adam Smith, Scientific Director at Nobel Prize Outreach, opened the discussion by focusing on basic science. Through his experience working with Nobel Prize laureates around the world, he has identified a recurring pattern regardless of country or level of development: talent is evenly distributed, but opportunities are not.

From his perspective, the real challenge is not discovering talent, but creating the conditions for it to thrive. This requires allowing people to explore, make mistakes, and discover what truly motivates them. Passion, he argued, is an economic engine—it enables individuals to push through failure, uncertainty, and the long development cycles that characterize both science and entrepreneurship.

In emerging economies such as Mexico, this insight is particularly relevant. Each year, the country produces thousands of highly qualified professionals, many of whom struggle to find a clear bridge between their knowledge and the productive sector. The result is a loss of value that affects not only individuals, but also regional competitiveness. For organizations expanding operations in Mexico, closing the gap between knowledge and productive application is a competitive advantage.

Entrepreneurship Is Also Economic Policy

For Ángel Cisneros, CEO and founder of Saptiva AI, entrepreneurship cannot be separated from broader economic development. His experience as a serial technology entrepreneur has revealed a structural tension across Latin America: technological dependence.

From his perspective, every time a region consumes technology without developing it, it externalizes its capacity for innovation—and with it, its future growth. In an environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, this dependence not only persists, but risks accelerating.

Cisneros argued that conversations around entrepreneurship must go beyond attracting large foreign companies or offering short-term tax incentives. True structural change occurs when local capabilities are built—when new generations are equipped with the tools, infrastructure, and role models needed to create transformative companies from the region and for the region.

This perspective is directly connected to the challenges faced by companies operating in Mexico under nearshoring strategies. Talent availability is a competitive advantage, but only when supported by an ecosystem capable of integrating that talent into high–value-added productive projects.

Science, Business, and Market: The Case of Morelos

Enrique Galindo Fentanes, President of Agro&Biotecnia, provided a concrete example of how scientific knowledge can become an economic engine when guided by a clear vision. From Morelos—one of Mexico’s most important scientific hubs—Galindo described how a group of researchers chose to move beyond traditional academic pathways to promote the creation of technology-based companies.

The diagnosis was clear: Mexico graduates approximately 14,000 PhDs each year, many of whom find limited opportunities in either the public sector or private industry. Under these conditions, entrepreneurship becomes less of an option and more of a necessity. This is a critical component of Mexican talent that requires stronger bridges to industry.

The experience in Morelos demonstrates that when researchers also act as translators of knowledge—capable of bringing science to market—high-value jobs are created, local economies are strengthened, and innovation clusters with real impact emerge. This does not require abandoning basic science, but rather supporting it through its productive application.

Entrepreneurship Within Large Corporations

One of the panel’s most relevant contributions came from the corporate perspective. Chapin Flynn, Senior Vice President at Mastercard, emphasized that entrepreneurship is not exclusive to startups or academia—it also occurs within large organizations when they adopt an innovation mindset focused on solving real problems.

Urban mobility illustrates this well. By examining long-standing friction points in public transportation—inefficient payments, high costs, and financial exclusion—Mastercard identified an opportunity to innovate from within by coordinating an ecosystem that included users, authorities, operators, and banks.

The result was not only a new business model, but measurable improvements in efficiency, inclusion, and sustainability. This logic is particularly relevant for manufacturing and logistics companies operating across North America, where incremental innovation and collaboration with startups and technology providers have become essential to competitiveness.

The Cost of Failure and the Role of Mentorship

Laura Palomares, Director of the Institute of Biotechnology at UNAM, brought attention to the role of failure in innovation. Drawing from her experience as an entrepreneur in the healthcare sector, she underscored that innovation involves significant risk—especially in capital-intensive industries such as pharmaceuticals.

She noted that entrepreneurship is not an individual effort, but one that requires multidisciplinary teams, strategic planning, and, above all, mentorship. In Mexico, one of the main obstacles is not a lack of ideas, but risk aversion and the absence of networks that support entrepreneurs during critical moments.

Mentorship, panelists agreed, is especially important at inflection points—when projects face setbacks, resources are depleted, or business models need adjustment. Documenting failure, learning from it, and sharing those lessons are essential steps in the maturation of any entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What This Means for Companies in Mexico and North America

The panel’s reflections point to a clear conclusion: the entrepreneurship of the future will be collaborative, strategic, and closely tied to productive realities. For companies evaluating investment, expansion, or relocation in Mexico, this means looking beyond labor costs or short-term incentives.

The true differentiator will be the ability to integrate into ecosystems where Mexican talent, innovation, and infrastructure converge—where science translates into processes, technology into operational efficiency, and ideas into sustainable businesses.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Networks of startups, corporations, universities, investors, and public institutions that enable ideas to move from research to market. Strong ecosystems accelerate innovation, scale talent, and increase regional competitiveness.

Technology Transfer

The process of translating scientific research and technical knowledge into commercial applications, products, or services. Effective technology transfer bridges the gap between academia and industry.

High-Value-Added Production

Economic activity that goes beyond basic assembly to include design, engineering, software, and intellectual property. It is a key driver of sustainable growth and competitiveness.

Corporate Entrepreneurship

Innovation that occurs within established companies through new business models, internal ventures, and partnerships with startups and technology providers.

Is Mexico prepared to support entrepreneurship beyond startups?

Yes. Mexico is increasingly developing ecosystems where corporations, universities, and entrepreneurs collaborate to translate innovation into productive impact.

Why does entrepreneurship matter for companies operating in Mexico?

Because strong entrepreneurial ecosystems improve access to talent, foster innovation, and enable higher-value operations within supply chains.

How does nearshoring connect with entrepreneurship?

Nearshoring increases the need for local innovation, technology development, and talent integration—areas where entrepreneurship plays a critical role.

Can large companies benefit directly from these ecosystems?

• Mexico’s advantage lies not only in talent availability, but in its growing ability to connect talent with productive ecosystems.

• Companies that engage early with local innovation networks gain access to higher-value opportunities and more resilient operations.

• Strategic partners play a critical role in helping companies navigate ecosystems, align stakeholders, and turn innovation into execution.