Building Owners and Managers Institute International (BOMI International) has developed a partnership with the Mexican Institute of Smart Buildings (IMEI) to provide educational programs to facilities and property management professionals in Mexico.

Mexico’s economy experienced 1.7% growth in 2008, despite the global economic crisis, and the country’s real estate development has continued to reach new levels.

“[Mexico City] is running new construction projects, especially tall buildings, so the building managers must be prepared to handle these new projects,” says IMEI President Felipe Flores Hernandez. Upcoming projects include buildings with efficient and modern technologies like the Torre Mayor, the tallest and most environmentally sound building in Mexico.

The BOMI International courses are intended to prepare the country’s building managers to handle new technologies and building systems, while meeting environmental and safety standards and managing real estate assets more effectively.

BOMI International hopes to help the managers reach the highest levels of smart building facilities management, says Dan Owings, BOMI International’s Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, “It’s exciting to be a part of the growing commercial real estate industry in Mexico during this important time.”

Smart buildings, when properly managed, decrease pollution and save energy costs, which can offset financial losses caused by the slowing economy, according to BOMI International, a nonprofit organization based in Annapolis, Md.