ATLANTA – Tech Square is not only an embodiment of Georgia Tech’s motto, Progress and Service, it’s one of Atlanta’s premier innovation ecosystems and an inspiration to universities around the world.
One of these universities, La Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), in Guayaquil, Ecuador, was hosted by EI2 Global for a recent visit to explore Tech Square and the systems and relationships that make it such a successful engine of economic development.
ESPOL is among Latin America’s top 50 universities, and the group — led by President Cecilia Paredes and Dean of the School of Business Maria L. Granda — was eager to discover strategies for integrating their own business education with technological innovation and economic development.
It’s no surprise they reached out to EI2 Global. As a program of Georgia Tech’s economic development arm, the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), EI2 Global has extensive economic ties to South America, chiefly through its experience strengthening innovation and collaboration at the Georgia Tech Medellín Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.
Said President Paredes, “I’m interested in how a school of business can create connections that provide value for students, companies, and the city. ESPOL is similar to Georgia Tech in that we have a range of academic units and services we can offer.”
Ecuador already enjoys a robust relationship with the state of Georgia. In the calendar year 2023, trade between the two regions totaled $266 million, with exports (predominantly forestry-related products, including paper) valued at more than $121.7 million and imports (chiefly comprised of seafood) at more than $144 million.
The ESPOL group began their visit by meeting with Scheller College of Business Dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair Anuj Mehrotra and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Jonathan Clarke to discuss the school’s contributions to the development and success of Tech Square.
Central to the agenda was a presentation with EI2 Global Director Juli Golemi, during which President Paredes and her delegation were given an overview, history, and introduction to best practices of Tech Square.
“Tech Square has brought together a community of startups, various industry sectors, and local and state government, creating a dynamic hub for entrepreneurship, commercialization, and research,” said Golemi.
“This mix of economic, physical, and network assets has been key to the success of Tech Square. The real takeaway isn’t about replicating the model — it’s about understanding what makes it work and shaping those ideas to fit the unique strengths and needs of your own ecosystem.”
To provide additional context, Golemi outlined the EI2 innovation ecosystem model, and EI2 Global program manager Viviana Montenegro shared a case study from Georgia Tech’s Medellín Innovation Center.
Delving into the more entrepreneurial aspects of Tech Square, John Avery, director of another EI2 program, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), led a session on building a startup community, and Rahul Saxena, director of CREATE-X, a program of Tech’s Office of Commercialization, gave a presentation about faculty and student research support.