INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO Y DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE MONTERREY

Their core work

Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) is one of Latin America's leading private universities, headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico. Within H2020, they served as a key bridge between Europe and Mexico/Latin America, particularly in deploying FIWARE smart city platforms and IoT technologies in non-European markets. They also contributed to international science policy dialogues, including gender equality in research and innovation across EU-third country partnerships. Their role has consistently been to extend European digital and research frameworks into the Latin American context.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

From 2015 to 2018, ITESM focused heavily on digital infrastructure — specifically FIWARE platform deployment and ICT NCP networking, serving as the Mexican anchor for European smart city technology transfer. Starting around 2017-2019, their involvement broadened toward knowledge exchange with emerging markets (K.I.T.F.E.M.) and IoT interoperability (SynchroniCity). Their most recent project (GENDER STI, 2020-2023) marks a clear pivot toward science policy and governance, focusing on gender equality and inclusive STI dialogues using participatory methods like design thinking and co-creation.

ITESM is shifting from technology deployment toward research governance and inclusive science policy, suggesting future collaborations will center on responsible innovation and EU-Latin America institutional frameworks.

How they like to work

ITESM has never coordinated an H2020 project, consistently joining as a participant or third party — their value lies in providing the Latin American perspective and deployment context rather than leading European consortia. With 125 unique partners across 44 countries, they operate within large, diverse consortia, indicating they are comfortable in multi-stakeholder international environments. They are a connector organization: bridging European research networks with Mexican and Latin American institutions.

ITESM has collaborated with 125 unique partners across 44 countries, an exceptionally wide network for an organization outside Europe. This breadth reflects their role as a gateway institution connecting European consortia with Latin American research ecosystems.

What sets them apart

ITESM is one of very few top-tier Latin American universities with sustained H2020 participation, making them a natural entry point for any European consortium seeking to extend reach into Mexico and Latin America. Their track record spans both technical deployment (FIWARE, IoT) and policy dialogue (gender, international cooperation), giving them unusual versatility for a non-EU partner. For consortium builders needing a credible, experienced Latin American partner with proven EU project delivery, ITESM is a rare and well-connected choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SmartSDK
  Developed a FIWARE-based software development kit for smart applications, representing concrete technology co-development between Europe and Mexico.
• GENDER STI
  Their most recent and longest project (2020-2023), marking a strategic shift toward science policy with focus on gender equality in international STI dialogues.
• SynchroniCity
  Large-scale IoT interoperability project aiming to create a digital single market beyond Europe, demonstrating ITESM's role in scaling European tech frameworks globally.