Keeping North America Great… Again
Our continent has been a global economic powerhouse for decades and the USMCA — while not perfect for any one country — encourages the kind of collaborative give and take that’s needed to create jobs, foster innovation and improve quality of life for more of our fellow countrymen and women. Nowhere is that spirit of collaboration and connectivity more evident than in the border economies that dot our hemisphere.
North America is home to a handful of rapidly growing border regions that punch above their weight — and overcome occasional tendencies toward protectionism in each of our countries — to build hubs of economic activity that can drive opportunity and prosperity across North America. These border regions have long been sources of human capital and innovation. Under the USMCA, there’s opportunity to accelerate their growth even more for the greater good.
Here are three lessons for policymakers across North America to consider as we strive to recognize the full promise of the USMCA:
- Recognize that these regions are already massive hubs of economic activity that benefit both sides of their borders.
- Embrace the increasing global significance of these regions.
- Engage universities to feed long-term economic success.
Border regions can serve as innovation clusters when academic institutions are collaborating closely with business leaders. These alliances have helped make the San Diego, Tijuana and Mexicali cross-border economy an example of what’s possible elsewhere in North America…
Success has come in part through innovative partnerships for strategic human resource development that include local governments, corporate leaders and universities on both sides of the border.
Examples range from medical technology graduate programs developed by our faculty in collaboration with St. Cloud State University and Medtronics, to a joint project with UC San Diego to support the semiconductors industry or other collaborations that develop talent for a growing aerospace sector. These partnerships demonstrate what’s possible through intentional transnational collaboration.
Dr. Fernando León García is President of CETYS University.
*This op-ed originally appeared on InsideSources.com on Oct. 22, 2018, where you can read it in full.*
