Consolidate and institutionalize the Impact Hub "Huella Mendoza" (ARCMD0005)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Action plan – Mendoza, Argentina, 2026 – 2027
Inception Report: Not available
Commitment Start: Mar 2026
Commitment End: Dec 2027
Institutions involved:
- Economic Development Secretariat
- National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo)
- National Technological University – Mendoza Regional Faculty (UTN FRM)
- Banco Galicia
- Wines of Argentina (WOFA) and Bodegas de Argentina
- INTA and INTI
- Innovation and acceleration spaces (LODO, Embarca, Nodo Innovación Cuyo, Polo TIC Mendoza)
- Mendoza Tourism Board (EMETUR) and AEHGA
Primary Policy Area:
Primary Sector:
OGP Value:
- Civic Participation
Description
Commitment ID
ARCMD0005
Commitment Title
Consolidate and institutionalize the Impact Hub "Huella Mendoza"
Problem
Status quo
The City of Mendoza has developed the Impact Hub through three consecutive editions (2023–2025) as an open innovation experience, featuring public calls, competitive selection processes, and on-the-ground validation of solutions in collaboration with municipal departments. These editions made it possible to build internal capacities, strengthen links with the entrepreneurial, academic, and productive ecosystem, and generate learnings on co-creation mechanisms and the testing of solutions for public challenges.
In this context, the main current challenge is not the absence of the tool, but rather the opportunity to institutionalize the Impact Hub as a permanent public policy, integrating it more systematically into planning, innovation, and municipal service improvement processes, ensuring its continuity, scalability, and strategic alignment with management priorities.
Action
The commitment consists of consolidating and institutionalizing the Impact Hub as an open innovation public policy, with periodic calls focused on challenges defined by the municipality, transparent selection processes, co-creation instances and field validation, and formal coordination with the departments responsible for each thematic area. It is expected to generate real pilots, institutional learning, and evidence for decision-making, strengthening collaboration among government, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?
The commitment contributes to solving the public problem by transforming a successful initiative—previously dependent on ad hoc agreements—into an institutionalized, sustainable, and replicable public policy within the Municipality of the City of Mendoza. In this way, it ensures the continuity of a mechanism that connects local public and productive challenges with innovative solutions developed by entrepreneurs, startups, and scientific-technological teams.
The institutionalization of the Hub will enable the systematic integration of open innovation into municipal management, strengthening public-private collaboration and ties with the academic system, and creating stable conditions for the validation of solutions with social, environmental, and economic impact in the territory.
Expected results and outputs:
- A formal Impact Hub model incorporated into the municipal structure and planning.
- Standardized procedures for calls, selection, mentoring, validation, and project evaluation.
- A stable network of strategic partners (academia, private sector, public agencies, and organizations within the entrepreneurial ecosystem).
- A greater number and higher quality of validated projects with potential for scalability and local impact.
- Generation of evidence and learning for the design of innovation-based public policies.
- Strengthening of the local innovation ecosystem and of the municipality’s role as a platform for coordination and development.
What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?
Primary Policy Area
Civic Space
Primary Sector
Land & Spatial Planning, Public Services (general)
What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?
| Civic Participation | It actively involves citizens, entrepreneurs, academia, and other stakeholders in co-creating and testing solutions to public challenges. |