Photo: Reed Saxon, Associated Press

Signs in Spanish and English, and the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, are seen at the Jalisco Market on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Signs in Spanish and English, and the Virgin of Guadalupe, the...

Great gains in the tech sector are a direct result of the ability to employ a bright, vibrant, diverse and skilled workforce. But today, our colleagues at U.S. technology companies in San Francisco and elsewhere are adjusting to federal policy changes that could affect nearly 85,000 foreign workers. These restrictions on U.S. entry hinder access to the best and brightest talent and threaten technological achievement in the United States and across the Americas.

The Mexican state of Jalisco understands your concerns and stands ready to work with you.

Those on the front lines of tech innovation must protect all that has enabled leaps and advancement in the industry. Jalisco, one of Mexicos technology hubs, welcomes talent from around the world, and is eager to work directly with U.S. tech companies to ensure that the pathway to innovation gains remains open an achievement of which the Americas can be proud.

We offer our U.S. counterparts an opportunity to collaborate and forge partnerships with tech companies in Jalisco. Through the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico has a well-defined framework of legal and intellectual property protections. We extend this offer to you and your partners with no discrimination of origin, religion or legal status.

Jalisco was once known only as the birthplace of hot sauce and Tequila. Today, the state is undergoing an economic revolution. It has become a digital creative center with a thriving technology industry worth $21 billion.

With a population of nearly 8 million people, Jalisco boasts a range of cultures, religions, ethnicities and languages. The state offers an enviable quality of life in a community that is enriched thanks to the diversity of our people. Guadalajara, Jaliscos capital, is a business and tourism travel destination with direct flights just hours from major U.S. tech hubs including San Francisco, San Jose, and Austin, Texas.

We also are proud of our homegrown talent. Each year, 10,000 engineering graduates, from Jaliscos 25 universities and 62 technical institutes, enter the states high-tech workforce.

Jalisco is also a breeding ground for 400 tech startups, with expertise in virtual reality, augmented reality, 3-D printing, data analysis, robotics, drone labs, cognitive computing, cloud computing, cybersecurity and open-source developers. Jalisco exports consumer and industrial products and services to 25 countries around the globe.

The worlds technology giants know that to stay competitive, they must not only attract and retain the best talent, but also foster productive, innovative partnerships. We believe that a healthy economic and sustainable technological future requires expanded thinking and open doors. It also requires a diverse workforce with the skills to bring cutting-edge ideas to life.

Jalisco looks forward to supporting U.S. tech companies and forging prosperous and exciting business ventures together. Los esperamos!

Aristteles Sandoval Daz is a Mexican politician. He has been governor of the state of Jalisco since 2013.

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Look to Jalisco for technology partners - San Francisco Chronicle