300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, Rosario, 1.2 million inhabitants, could have rested on its historical laurels since it was there that the first Argentine flag was made. It could also have been content with being the third largest city in Argentina, with its port on the Paraná River, accessible to ocean-going ships for the transport of agricultural products and those of industry, produced locally by giants. like General Motors and Dow. She could also have simply enjoyed the reputation of her illustrious sons, from Che Guevara to Lionel Messi… But she chose another destiny, focused on the sustainable economy and tech.
To do this, it has launched half a dozen incubators, backed by university research centers, such as the Technological Pole, which brings together public authorities, universities and partner companies, including Accenture and Bosch. The goal is twofold. The first is to make Rosario and its region an international center of reference for scientific and technological innovation, by helping to launch and develop start-ups. Then, to become the spearhead of a sustainable and job-creating Argentine economy. The strategy seems to be paying off. According to StartupBlink, a site that lists start-up ecosystems around the world, Rosario continues to gain places, to climb to fourth place in the country in 2022 (behind Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Mendoza).
A city focused on sustainable economy and technology
“Rosario is the ideal place to set up a start-up specializing in foodtech, health, e-commerce…”, specifies the site. Among the emblematic start-ups, Agrofy, founded in 2015 by an economist from the University of Rosario and a local entrepreneur. It offers, through a platform, a wide range of services to agricultural market players: sale of products, purchase of equipment, insurance, bank loans, information on food prices… Already present throughout the In Latin America, Agrofy has raised several funds, notably with the Norwegian petrochemical company Yara and the American trading company Bunge. The municipality of Rosario also multiplies international meetings around science or the social and solidarity economy, initiatives to create networks of entrepreneurs and summits aimed at attracting foreign investors.
But all is not perfect… While Rosario is shaken by the violence caused by drug trafficking, Argentina lives today under the threat of a new economic crisis. So much so that two young people have added to their marketing agency, launched three years ago, the HelpFly offer: a site that allows Argentinian information technology specialists to seek telework from companies based outside the country… and thus be paid in hard currency. Of course, they are based in Rosario…
An article from the special issue “Find the city that suits you”. On sale since November 17.