Guanajuato seeks leadership in semiconductor manufacturing

Guanajuato has a period of five years to make the most of nearshoring, especially to position itself as the strategic site for semiconductors and thus displace Taiwan.

In an interview, the head of the Secretariat of Sustainable Economic Development of Guanajuato, Ramón Alfaro Gómez, explained that these goals were set before the boom in the relocation of suppliers, and where competition and opportunity studies are added.

The results of the analyzes identified the Asian destination as the main one that houses the manufacture of semiconductors, because it has guaranteed energy sufficiency, which is another challenge to overcome for the state of Guanajuato, and because it concentrates trained human capital.

“At least these next five years will be critical, especially since we have semiconductors that have been in a supply crisis, it has to be resolved and you can’t continue to depend on making them in Taiwan,” he said.

Given this objective, he explained to El Economista that the public policy of Guanajuato that intends to take advantage of nearshoring is worked under three headings.

The first point focuses on generating human talent, making investments and alliances with educational institutions for the development of people; For example, English language classes were given to more than 120 engineering graduates from 22 universities through the Advanced Training for Professionals program.

Added to this, 44 million pesos were allocated for the acquisition of seven digitizing arms, 10 computer numerical control machining centers and two coordinate measuring machines, to provide specialized training in High Specialty Training Centers.

Guanajuato also collaborates in an educational way with companies such as Fujikura Automotive México Salamanca, Kamax México, Industrias Acros Whirlpool, Innovación Industrial Breamer, and Mabe Id.

“There are resources at the educational level and for young people who need to be inserted through training, with our state educational institute and in our training scholarships,” he said.

The second factor is the generation of business incentives, where an aggressive program is being applied for the installation of companies and which is the state with the highest opening rate for this industrial sector.

The third point addresses the necessary infrastructure for the industrial sector, for which the State Energy Agency was strengthened.

“If we don’t have energy, we are not competitive, it is a factor of competitiveness and investment attraction. We also have the conclusion of our Celaya railway bypass where the two tracks from Kansas City and Ferromex intersect. With these three great strategies is how we are attracting to meet the North American plan, ”he reiterated.

The secretary explained that Guanajuato created these three shares after it identified the nearshoring opportunity, a situation that arises from factors such as Covid-19, Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, and the trade war between the United States and China.

Results

Since this phenomenon of reconfiguration of supply supply began, the entity has taken advantage of the opportunities, “which can already be seen in a tangible way in terms of investments and exports.”

“2022 was a great year, a great year of economic reactivation for Guanajuato, for the Bajío region, it was a year that we exceeded 2,000 million dollars in that year. The goal of the six-year term is to attract 5,000 million dollars of foreign investment and we surpassed it last year, we have more than 5,400 million. In Guanajuato there is an orientation towards exports, we have already exceeded 28,000 million dollars, 80% goes to the United States ”, he commented.

Only due to nearshoring, it is expected that this cumulative uptake of investments will amount to more than 6,000 million dollars in 2023.

estados@eleconomista.mx