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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At the Crossroads” Conclusions & Recommendations 162
As emphasized throughout this report, the Cameron County/Matamoros Border
Region, as well as the Lower Rio Grande Valley, is at a crossroads in terms of
(see Figure 1.2):
⇒ Business and industry development for accelerated wealth creation and the
growth of globally competitive, career oriented jobs
⇒ “Closing the Gaps” in education in terms of participation, success,
excellence, research, and workforce training for 21 st Century jobs
⇒ Maintaining and enhancing an accessible quality of life for all the region’s
citizens and countering the regional “brain drain” of some of the most
capable workers and professionals
⇒ Visionary leadership that fosters regional and binational strategies for action
Key to the border region meeting these challenges is enhanced leveraging of
local industry assets, education and training, government and foundation
resources, and community and cultural assets and knowledge to foster the
regional and binational development of talent, knowledge, capital, and know-how
for accelerated development, Figure 6.3.
Figure 6. 3. Networking & Leveraging Regional and Binational Institutions &
Knowledge for Accelerated Regional Development
Industry: Small,
Mid-Sized & Large
One Region –
One Future
Education
& Training
Federal, State &
Local Governments
BINATIONAL
COMMUNITIES/CULTURES
Talent Knowledge Capital Know How
Accelerated Regional Development
Collaboration
Coordination
Cooperation
Foundations
Una Region --
Un Futuro
Source: IC 2 Institute, University of Texas at Austin
Talent 1 --- whether the focus is on technology-, civic-, or social-entrepreneurship
(please refer to Section I and Figure 1-2) --- refers to the entrepreneurial drive,
tenacity, dedication, and hard work of special types of individuals or champions--people
who make things happen. Talent without ideas is like seed without
water. The entrepreneurial process is underway when talent is linked with
knowledge that can be embodied in processes or technologies. Talent facilitates
the push and pull of the transfer process where knowledge is applied to solve
1 The following descriptions are adapted from the writings and presentations of Dr. George
Kozmetsky, Co-Chair, CBIRD Bi-National Advisory Board and Chairman of the Board, The IC² Institute,
The University of Texas at Austin.
Una Region, Un Futuro
Institution-based
excellence – whether
it be academic,
business, or
government --
is NOT sufficient.