Grupo Polo Tecnológico de Rosario (Argentina)
The PTR (Technology Cluster of Rosario City) is a public-private institution founded in the year 2000. Its primary objective is to promote the technological and scientific development and cooperation, boosting business entrepreneurship and contributing to a sustainable growth in our region.
The PTR is a unique player in the construction of common ideas and strategic projects between the public and the private sector, bringing together local technology companies, public institutions, research institutes and universities, working for long term sustainability of our region. More than 90 local SME´s in the software, biotechnology and telecommunication sectors choose to be part of the PTR each year.
It´s mission is
·To promote and stimulate the growth of SME´s in local and international markets
·To strengthen the technological education in the region
·To boost the linkage between private SME´s and research institutes
·To promote SME´s high quality processes and products
·To encourage investments in technological SME´s empowering entrepreneurship in the region.
The PTR offers a wide range of services oriented at providing business assistance to its members, stimulating also quality certification processes and supporting the creation of new companies and entrepreneurship though non-formal training methods.
The PTR through its Quality Certification Office, offers consulting and certification services on CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) and ISO 9001:2008, and organizes special dissemination events and lectures about technology for the general public.
Particullarly with regards of youth empowerment, in the last years the PTR has organized a diversity of permanent workshops and seminars for young entrepreneus and companies staff oriented to building general and specific technological capacieties, such as programing languajes, web development, videogames, web and mobile applications, etc. These courses, dictated by technology specialists, aims at giving a comprehensive training to young entrepreneurs, covering a range of skills that usually are not aquired in the formal education system. In order to introduce new graduate students to the job market, the PTR has internship programs for students in local companies.
Moreover, each year the PTR organice events to promote young entrepreneurship skills through non formal education events, which are highly valued not only by the participants but also by the local government and other organizations, from whom they receive an active support. For example, for the last three years, together with Rosario Game Devs (game development community) the PTR hosted a diversity of hackathons such as the Game Work Jam and the Global Game Jam; and together with other partners, the EmprenDevs, the NASA Space Apps Challenge and the Open Agile Event. These activities are usually free of charge for participants (up to 200 people each) and help to promote a spirit of collaborative work with targeted objectives and goals, which are key preparation tools to face a competitive business world.
Fabián Longhitano is the General Director of the PTR (Technology Cluster of Rosario City) since 2006. He is the manager for the Training Center and the Quality Certification & Innovation Center, creating and implementing workshops, training events for more than 2000 participants. He is also responsible for software quality certification processes (ISO, CMMI) for a diversity of local companies. Mr. Longhitano owns a bachelor’s degree on Computer Science achieved at the National Technology University of Rosario, holds a SCRUM master certification on software project management and he is a certified coach for professional empowerment (ITCR Institute). He is a professor at the carrier of System Engineering at the Regional Faculty of Rosario (UTN), where he is in charge of the System Design subject.
He´s main areas of expertise include innovation & SME´s, software certification, definition of software product and process ‘standards, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of technology projects and quality control. He usually works with design thinking and agile methodologies. He has been working for several years in the creation and management of non-formal training events for young entrepreneurs; such as the NASA Space App Rosario, the Global Game Jam, the Emprendevs Hackathon and the Game Work Jam. He speaks English fluently and is Spanish native.
Guillermo Civetta is the General Manager of the PTR, being in charge of the finance and operations in all the areas of the institution: Business Promotion, Funding, R&D, Quality Certification and Training. He holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration achieved at IDEA (Argentinian institute for business development), a master in Public Policy Management and Control at FLACSO (Latino American Faculty on Social Sciences) and a bachelor´s degree on Physics by the National University of Rosario. He has more than 15 years of experience in private and public companies regarding: consultancy services on new technologies, organizational development and strategic management and reengineering for industrial processes; project management, financial and economy analysis for private companies and SME´s. As the director of Industry and Technology of the local Ministry of Production, he developed and implemented evaluation programs, managed the general budget and the re-engineering of local administrative units, negotiated with tenders and developed programs for production regional development and promotion of new technology companies.
Desiré di Benedetto is a PTR consultant that works in R&D department, though the creation of networks that help local technology companies to develop new services and products. She has a Bachelor’s degree on International Relations and she is a professor of International Politics at the University of Rosario. For several years she was a consultant on international cooperation for local SME´s and other organizations and she developed M&E of programs implemented by business woman associations from Latino America. She has acquired valuable experience in youth empowerment through the organization and participation in United Nations Model workshops for high school and university levels. As a teacher she is specialized in pedagogy and methodology to help with the implementation of new technologies in high schools, where she teaches also the subjects of economy and civil rights. She is fluent in English, Italian, German and Spanish as native language.
Marina Siri is a PTR consultant for institutional relations, developing projects that involve the participation of PTR´s members (companies, local companies and local government). She has a Master Degree on European integration, with focus on SME´s and planning for European projects achieved at UNIPD (Italy) and holds a bachelor’s degree on International Relations at UNR (Argentina). Her working experience includes M&E of international projects for private and public organizations in Italy and Iran, in the fields of Economic Cooperation, Human Rights and European Projects (7°Framework Programme & Interreg IVC Programme). She designed and conducted several surveys on science, technology and public opinion for private organizations and participated in fundraising activities for international organizations. She´s fluent in English and has a native level at Italian and Spanish.
Person of Contact
General Manager: Guillermo Civetta