Science Gallery Network takes centre stage at Global Institute on Innovation Districts Summit in Monterrey
Science Gallery International’s CEO and Science Gallery Monterrey’s Director spotlight how the Network fosters talent pipelines and innovation at the GIID Global Summit, hosted by Tecnológico de Monterrey
From left to right: Tania Alejandra Martínez Báez, Education and Communications Coordinator at Science Gallery Monterrey; Audrey Chang, SGI’s Network Development Director; Science Gallery International CEO Sarah Durcan; Carmen Ruiz, Exhibitions Coordinator at Science Gallery Monterrey; Julie Wagner, President of GIID, and Miguel González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, during the GIID Summit (2025)
At the inaugural Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID) Summit, Science Gallery International CEO Sarah Durcan joined Mario Adrián Flores Castro, Vice President of the Monterrey Region and General Director of Monterrey Campus at Tec, and Miguel González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, to highlight the pivotal role of the Science Gallery Network in cultivating the next generation of talent and helping democratise innovation ecosystems.
The inaugural GIID Global Summit took place from 9 to 11 April at Tecnológico de Monterrey, the newest member of the Science Gallery Network. More than 300 innovation leaders, changemakers, and investors gathered to explore how innovation districts can de-risk, decarbonise, and grow talent.
“The opening of Science Gallery Monterrey was a key reason we selected the Monterrey Innovation District to host the inaugural Global Summit,” said Julie Wagner, President of the GIID. “Innovation districts are powerful when linked with Science Gallery, driving new kinds of pathways for a diversity of people into districts.”
“Innovation districts are powerful when linked with Science Gallery”
Mario Adrián Flores Castro, Vice President of the Monterrey Region and General Director of Monterrey Campus at Tec, Science Gallery International CEO Sarah Durcan, and Miguel González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, during the GIID Summit
Science Gallery Monterrey is located in the new Expedition FEMSA building, part of Tec de Monterrey’s growing Innovation District. With over seven floors of labs, office, meeting rooms, co-working and public spaces, Expedition is home to several labs and institutes including the Institute for the Future of Education, Institute for Obesity Research, Sports and Health Innovation, Centre for Early Childhood, Core Lab for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence among others.
In his opening address, David Garza Salazar, Executive President of Tecnológico de Monterrey, said, “This summit is not just a gathering; it is a launchpad for building new global partnerships in an era that requires us to bridge divides and reject isolationism. This underscores why this summit is so important and also so timely. We are also joined by key players, government representatives from different sectors, non-profits, operations, philanthropists, investors, consultants, universities, who all play an essential role in advancing the growth of innovation districts globally. By working together, we can accelerate progress, create sustainable solutions and position our cities and regions at the forefront of the knowledge economy.”
Science Gallery International CEO Sarah Durcan, Miguel González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, and Audrey Chang, SGI’s Network Development Director, during the GIID Summit
The reach of the Network continues to grow: in 2024 alone, it launched permanent galleries in Bengaluru and Monterrey, worked with over 600 researchers and artists, delivered 12 exhibitions and 200 public programmes, and reached 30,000 students across nine countries through its first Global Classroom event.
The impact of the Science Gallery model recently came to life during a visit by the Governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García, to Brave New Future, the inaugural exhibition at Science Gallery Monterrey. While exploring the show, he engaged with an installation that gave voice to the Santa Catarina River—a waterway that runs through the city and is often seen as its backbone. Water, both a local and global concern, is an issue García has championed in recent years. He recorded a dialogue with the river’s “spirit” and shared the experience with his 2.2 million Instagram followers.
“Our governor immediately recognised the potential of Science Gallery’s art and science collaborations to connect with people in a very meaningful way,” remarked Miguel González Virgen. “These works communicate a positive message around an urgent issue: one where scientists, artists and researchers at Tec de Monterrey are working together. It is a message that resonates with everyone and helps democratise science.”
“Samuel García, Governor of Nuevo León, immediately recognised the potential of Science Gallery to connect with people in a very meaningful way”
Science Gallery Monterrey mediators during the opening of BRAVE NEW FUTURE, Science Gallery Monterrey at Tecnológico de Monterrey (2024)
The Science Gallery International Network comprises galleries in Atlanta, Bengaluru, London, Melbourne and Monterrey, each contributing to their city’s dynamic ecosystem of innovation. Locally rooted and globally connected, Science Gallery operates as a facilitator for transdisciplinary collaborations and a platform for vital conversations that bring together diverse people, ideas, institutions, and enterprises.
“Science Gallery is about courageously working together to shape our cities into vibrant places that inspire hope, agency and resilience in the next generation”
“It's about the relationships we build,” Sarah Durcan said, underscoring how the Science Gallery operates as a vital social hub for researchers, artists, innovators and local communities. “It’s about courageously working together to shape our cities into vibrant places that inspire hope, agency and resilience in the next generation.”