Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez / Texas Border Business
Index Nacional and COSTEP, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 16, 2025, during the 50th National Index Convention, marking a new chapter in binational cooperation between Tamaulipas and the Rio South Texas Region.
The agreement was signed by Humberto Martínez, National President of Index, and Adam González, CEO of COSTEP. It sets forth a framework for collaboration to strengthen the cross-border manufacturing corridor and align investment promotion, infrastructure planning, and workforce development across both regions.
According to the memorandum, the alliance seeks to “promote infrastructure, logistics, and workforce development, and leverage nearshoring opportunities to attract new investment and generate shared economic growth between Mexico and Rio South Texas.”
Martínez underscored the need for closer alignment between industrial stakeholders, stating that “the manufacturing industry in Mexico is increasingly interdependent with its Texan counterpart. Working together ensures resilience, efficiency, and innovation.” González noted that “this agreement with Index marks a turning point in how we approach cross-border cooperation—it’s about moving from dialogue to coordinated action.”
The MOUs are designed to establish a mutually beneficial strategic collaboration between COSTEP and leading business and industrial organizations in Mexico to promote the Rio South Texas Region as a competitive destination for investment, business expansion, and supply chain integration. This collaboration seeks to increase visibility of the region’s geographic, productive, and logistical advantages, including cities such as Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, Mission, Weslaco, Donna, and Laredo, while highlighting their manufacturing capacity, international trade infrastructure, and direct links to the industrial ecosystem of Tamaulipas.
Additionally, the partnership supports industrial matchmaking and supplier development, enabling companies in Mexico to identify new sourcing, expansion, and investment opportunities—generating economic growth and job creation on both sides of the border. As part of this effort, COSTEP is developing a Regional Industrial Data System, a comprehensive platform documenting what is produced in the region, by whom, and at what scale, to support investment promotion, supply chain integration, and strategic planning across participating organizations.
Through this MOU, COSTEP and Index Nacional aim not only to deepen trade and industrial ties but to redefine how Mexico and Rio South Texas collaborate—transforming a shared border into a shared engine of innovation and economic opportunity.
