The "Cluster de Tecnologías de Información de Baja California" (IT@Baja) in recent days was awarded the bronze certification, handed by the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI), a program that recognizes excellence in the management processes of different clusters around the world.

The Foundation, based in Berlin (Germany), aims to determine a set of appropriate indicators with the purpose to create an internationally recognized quality standard for the management of clusters.

"We are very pleased as we are the first information technologies cluster in Mexico that has been appraised; it is a step forward for our country and validates our efforts to become more efficient and operate within international standards of excellence that enhance our competitiveness," said Guillermo Mejia Duclaud, Manager of the Cluster in Baja.

For his part, José Martínez Rivera, President of the Cluster, considered "that this award fills us with pride, but at the same time we acquire a greater responsibility, since it means that IT@Baja is now part a group of 214 clusters from 29 countries that have been awarded such recognition".

"This exercise is part of a project, which is supported by the Mexican Secretariat of Economy and the World Bank, with the aim of developing the capabilities of all the IT clusters in the country and to further strengthen the IT industry, which currently registers a sustained growth three times the average GDP, and therefore, can be considered a pillar of our economic growth strategy", commented Claudia Ivette García Romero, Director General for Innovation, Services and Trade for the Secretariat of Economy of Mexico.

To receive this award, IT@Baja, was ranked among those 214 organizations from 29 countries, and was assessed by an expert from the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA), the agency in charge of developing this certification methodology.

This appraisal, carried out from Berlin, focused on 26 indicators covering different areas of the cluster organization, including: corporate structure, management and financing, and services provided, among others.

The bronze label is awarded to those organizations that have attained a score in of more than 80% and is a step towards a Gold certification, which is granted after having successfully implemented all the improvements and learning processes suggested by the ECEI and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

Sergio Langarica Herrera, President of the National Chamber of the Electronic, Telecommunications and Information Technology Industry, Northwest region (CANIETI), said that he will work with IT@Baja to boost the competitiveness of their membership. "We believe that it is a clear sign of economic progress for the IT sector in the State of Baja California."

Claudio Arriola Guerrero, Director of the BIT Center (Business Innovation and Technology Center) stressed the enormous importance of this assessment, because it establishes trust in the companies from the region, and certifies the quality of their technological development.

Finally, Victor Gutiérrez Martínez, National President of CANIETI, mentioned that "the certification obtained by IT@Baja, I would recommend to be consider by other clusters in the industry and in the country, since this certification is an international standard that helps raise the level of competitiveness of the IT industry and increases the potential for exporting services to the U.S. and other markets".

IT@Baja is a non-profit organization that supports IT Companies, academic institutions, research centers, Governmental and related agencies, aiming to promote and develop all their abilities. Currently composed by a relevant group of companies in Baja California with the expertise in the developing and implementing of solutions for industrial and commercial sectors. It has the main purpose to research, develop, publish and promote a set of common and up-to-date goals for the IT sector, with an international scope, that should empower the average businessman and businesswoman.

Thus, benefiting them by promoting the understanding of management systems, control processes and assets protection, through the development of a management model for information technologies.

Since 2007, the ESCA has been awarding these certifications to a variety of industrial clusters, ranging from aerospace, biotechnology, construction, energy and environment, food, health and medical sciences, media and creative, nano technologies, IT, among other technologies.

For more detailed information, feel free to contact Guillermo Mejia Duclaud from Clúster de Tecnologías de Información de Baja California, AC at BiT Center, by phone (664) 380-6158 or e-mail at coordinacion@itbaja.com .

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