THE BOOn
OVER THE BORDER
iF TECHnOlOgy iS nO lOngER limiTED to Silicon Valley , then the innovation community in San Diego can no longer be bound by its borders . San Diego ’ s most unique advantage is its location , where industry can be aided by cross-border interchange .
Melissa Floca , interim director of UC San Diego ’ s Center for U . S . -Mexican Studies ( USMEX ), housed at the School of Global Policy and Strategy , says the border adds value that no other entity can . And it ’ s not about “ offshoring ” or “ nearshoring ,” but rather embracing a new regional focus .
“ The growth of these industries fuels investment and exports , and is supported by the talent coming out of our universities on both sides of the border ,” Floca says . “ What differentiates us is our drive to invent and manufacture across the entire region , and our comparative advantage is tied to the highly developed industrial complex just across the border .”
Floca sees USMEX as helping the binational region have clout on the global scale . In addition to housing one of the nation ’ s largest residential fellowship programs with specific research on Mexico , USMEX partners with the Urban Studies and Planning Program for Frontera Fridays , bringing policy makers and business leaders to the same table in order to understand the connection between the two regional powers , San Diego and Tijuana . USMEX organizes an annual large-scale symposium on relevant issues for both countries , called Mexico Moving Forward .
“ We often lack a fact base on issues like the importance of cross-border industries , the binational student population and shared environmental challenges ,” says Floca . “ USMEX routinely engages in research that contributes to the regional policy dialogue , and helps define the narrative about who we are as a region and what challenges and opportunities we face .”