Building tomorrow’s knowledge economy through the Tlalpan Innovation District in Mexico

Aretian Urban Analytics and Design, in collaboration with the Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of Mexico’s most prestigious universities, has developed a groundbreaking project to boost innovation and economic growth in the capital. The initiative focuses on the Mexico City Campus (CCM), located in the south of the city within the Tlalpan Innovation District, and positions it as a dynamic anchor within a thriving ecosystem of talent, research, and entrepreneurship. With privileged connections to major academic and research institutions—including the  Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México (UNAM), the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) and the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), and a leading medical research complex—the district is positioned to become a premier hub for advanced research, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven development. Aretian’s role was to deliver a comprehensive urban, economic, and innovation strategy, updating and expanding on prior analyses and masterplans to align the district with the latest trends and opportunities.

Overview of the Talplan Innovation District for the Tec Monterrey in CDMX.

Despite its privileged location and institutional strengths, the Tlalpan Innovation district had to overcome several critical challenges. The ecosystem remained fragmented, with few collaborations between academic, medical, and industrial actors, limiting the flow of knowledge and innovation. Outdated spatial planning meant that the campus was not fully integrated into the wider urban fabric, missing the opportunity to unlock its full potential as a driver of university–industry collaboration. The innovation landscape itself had evolved since the original 2021 masterplan, calling for updated analyses and approaches and new tenant and innovation strategies to remain globally competitive. Most importantly, the district lacked the critical mass required of a world-class innovation district, falling short of the 35% innovation employment intensity benchmark and necessitating bold new strategies for planning, design, and partnerships.

View of the Talplan Innovation District for the Tec Monterrey in CDMX.

To address these challenges, Aretian applied its rigorous, data-driven urban analytics methodology, developing a future-ready masterplan across multiple scales, from campus to metropolitan region. This comprehensive approach examined research, innovation, and economic activity at the campus, district, city, and metropolitan levels, identifying key synergies and opportunities for growth. Aretian also mapped existing and potential partnerships with leading institutions and designed a visionary land-use and programming framework that clustered activities by both innovation phase—from research to startup incubation—and strategic knowledge sector, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and digital industries. Aretian’s plan emphasized urban design excellence by creating a highly connected, dense, and human-centered environment with vibrant public spaces, pedestrian networks and integrated amenities. Aretian also developed a strategy to strengthen the full innovation lifecycle, by bridging research, technology transfer, entrepreneurship and industry with the support of updated data and benchmarking. 

Detail view of the Talplan Innovation District for the Tec Monterrey in CDMX.

The results of this ambitious project set the stage for transformative outcomes for the Tlalpan Innovation District. By 2040, innovation employment within the CCM campus is projected to reach 50%—compared to just 11% across Mexico City today—translating into more than 18,000 jobs in core innovation sectors and upwards of 36,000 jobs overall in the district, including related industry and support sectors. In addition, the plan is expected to generate $3.75 billion USD in economic activity and to double research capacity from 2,611 to over 4,320 researchers, supported by cutting-edge facilities, advanced equipment and new partnerships. On the industry side, Aretian anticipates the creation of 150–200 startups and the attraction of 40–50 anchor innovative firms, with expanded incubation and technology transfer programs. This project also showcases a proper case study for a vibrant urban environment, with a vision for a compact, sustainable, and lively campus that attracts global talent, strengthens community ties, and serves as a model for knowledge-based urban development in Mexico and beyond. By fully integrating the Tlalpan Innovation District with Mexico City’s academic and medical ecosystem, it is positioned to become a central node in the national knowledge economy, amplifying regional impact and global competitiveness.

Innovation Pipeline developed for the Talplan Innovation District of the Tec Monterrey in CDMX.