mexico's aerospace
TRANSCRIPT
VII - 2014
Negociospara exportadores
The Lifestyle Mexicans Versed in the Glamorous Task of Making Us Laugh and Cry
MEXICO IN THE WORLDThe Aerospace Industry in Mexico and the French Touch
MEXICO’S AEROSPACE
A High-flying Industry
The government of Mexico has set out to transform our country based on five ma-jor national goals: to have a peaceful, in-
clusive, well-educated, prosperous and globally-responsible Mexico.
In order to build the prosperous Mexico we long for, we must generate sustained high econom-ic growth that results in more and better jobs that will improve the quality of life of our population.
Mexico has a solid foundation on which to attain these goals: healthy public finances; a manageable debt level; a budget with no fiscal deficit; a responsible and autonomous monetary policy, as well as adequate international reserves.
Our macroeconomic stability and insti-tutional strength are enriched by a wide so-ciopolitical consensus that favors important transformations required to boost the devel-opment of our country. Through the Pact for Mexico, two constitutional reforms have been approved: one in education that will enhance the quality of teaching, and another in telecom-munications, radio broadcasting and economic
competition that will open up the sector and ensure competition throughout our economy. Furthermore, the Congress is analyzing a finan-cial overhaul to increase the level of credit and make it more affordable.
Mexico offers certainty and confidence to investments, a business climate favoring pro-ductivity and competitiveness, and an ambi-tious plan to further develop infrastructure. Moreover, the country’s strategic geographic location and optimal legal framework for in-ternational trade, through a network of trade agreements with 45 countries, give us access to a potential market of over one billion people.
Mexico’s exceptional economic and geo-graphic conditions, as well as the talent and qual-ity of its human capital, make it the ideal destina-tion for new productive capital to flourish.
This is the time to invest in Mexico. Inves-tors will find the government of Mexico and ProMéxico to be allies committed to the suc-cess of projects that create quality jobs and prosperity for the country.
Enrique Peña NietoPresident of Mexico
Table of Contents July 2014
cover feature
Mexico’s Aerospace
a high flying industry
From ProMéxico
Business TipsMexico’s Aerospace Industry:
Building an Innovation and Technology Platform for the Next Generation
Mexico in the WorldThe Aerospace Industry
in Mexico and the French Touch
21 24
10
Briefs12
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Bombardier
Airbus Group
Monterrey Aerospace
Fokker Aerostructures
Aernnova
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Antair
Prysmian Group
Elimco-Prettl
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies
Incertec
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Altaser
TechOps
Alaxia
Hydra Technologies
3D Robotics
Mexico’s Partner
56 figures
The Lifestyle The CompleTe Guide To The mexiCan Way of life
The LifestyleBriefs
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Agustín Hernández:Gravity-defying Emotions
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Mexicans Versed in the Glamorous Task of Making Us Laugh and Cry
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QUeréTAro for Foodies
66 TiTAniCBrought a Wave of Gifted People to the Surface
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Modern MexiCo Embraces its Colonial Legacy
70
Para exportadores
de ProMéxico 74
el diálogo empresarial México-estados Unidos:encuentros para impulsar la competitividad
79
Los esquemas de certificación en comercio exteriory la competitividad empresarial
80
Administración de las ideas:Consejos para implementaciones exitosas
82
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oPorTUnidAdes en CHinA:Un enfoque de inteligencia comercial para los países de la Alianza del Pacífico
Breves76
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86
fot
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ivoFilipinas
renueva sus lazos comerciales con México
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ProMéxicofrancisco N. González Díaz
Ceo
Karla Mawcinitt Buenoimage and Communications
General Coordinator
Sebastián escalante Bañuelosdirector of publications and Content
Copy Editingfelipe Gómez antúnez
Jorge Morales Becerra contreras
Cover Photocourtesy of airbus Group
Negocios ProMéxico es una publicación mensual editada por ProMéxico, Camino a Santa Teresa número 1679, colonia Jardines del Pedregal, delegación Álvaro Obregón, CP 01900, México, DF Teléfono: (52) 55 5447 7000. Portal en Internet: www.promexico.gob.mx; correo electrónico: [email protected]. Editor responsable: Gabriel Sebastián Escalante Bañuelos. Reserva de derechos al uso exclusivo No. 04-2009-012714564800-102. Licitud de título: 14459; licitud de contenido: 12032, ambos otorgados por la Comisión Calificadora de Publicaciones y Revistas Ilustradas de la Secretaría de Gobernación. ISSN: 2007-1795.
Negocios ProMéxico año 7, número VII 2014, julio 2014, se imprimió un tiraje de 14,000 ejemplares. Impresa por Cía. Impresora El Universal, S.A. de C.V. Las opinio-nes expresadas por los autores no reflejan necesariamente la postura del editor de la publicación. Queda estrictamente prohibida la reproducción total o parcial de los contenidos e imágenes de la publicación sin previa autorización de ProMéxico. Publicación gratuita. Está prohibida su venta y distribución comercial.
ProMéxico is not responsible for inaccurate information or omissions that might exist in the information provided by the participant companies nor of their economic solvency. The institution might or might not agree with an author’s statements; therefore the responsibility of each text falls on the writers, not on the institution, except when stated oth-erwise. Although this magazine verifies all the information printed on its pages, it will not accept responsibility derived from any omissions, inaccuracies or mistakes. July 2014.
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Negocios ProMéxico at negocios.promexico.gob.mx.
Editorial council
consEjo Editorial
Ildefonso Guajardo villarreal
francisco de rosenzweig Mendialdua
enrique Jacob rocha
francisco N. González Díaz
embajador alfonso de Maria y campos castelló
Luis Miguel Pando Leyva
francisco Javier Méndez aguiñaga
rodolfo Balmaceda
Guillermo Wolf
Jaime Zabludovsky
Gabriela de la riva
adolfo Laborde carranco
Silvia Núñez García
María cristina rosas González
ulises Granados Quiroz
Karla i. mawcinitt Bueno
This publication is not for sale.
Its sale and commercial distribution are forbidden.
BRIEFS
Fromproméxico.
Mexico is flying high in the aerospace sector. Many mul-tinational companies have recently established in the country, convinced of the tal-
ent and capabilities of Mexican human capi-tal, strategic geographical position, logistics, and infrastructure development, as well as its ease of doing business, among other com-petitive advantages.
Today, the Mexican aerospace industry is comprised by 287 companies and re-nowned research and development centers. The sector generates more than 32,600 high-quality jobs; and this figure is continu-ously rising: according to INEGI, from De-
cember 2012 to December 2013, personnel engaged in the manufacture of aerospace equipment grew by 9.3%. The development of specialized training centers in our coun-try has been key to this success.
Mexico is moving towards the consolida-tion of an aerospace industry for the future. The government, academia and industry are driving remarkable efforts, in order to create a triple helix that can boost the sector’s growth in the country for the upcoming years. This edition shows precisely the development of the sector in this regard.
When talking about opportunities in the aerospace sector in Mexico, the sky is the limit.
Welcome to Negocios!
Francisco N. González DíazCEO
ProMéxico
BRIEFS BRIEFS
iMProVinG AirPorTs
INFRASTRUCTURE
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Japanese multinational corporate group Hitachi plans a 90 million USD investment to build a manufacturing plant in Estado de México. The new site will produce cast metal parts for the region’s automotive industry. This new plant, third for the company and fifth for Hitachi Automotive Systems Group within Mexico, is being established to support the production of vehicles in Mexico and to further strengthen the supply for the car makers throughout the Americas using Mexico’s preferential trade agreements.The new plant will begin production of pistons for automotive parts as well as aluminum diecasts in May 2015. Further expansion of production is to be expected in the future.
www.hitachi.com
AUTOMOTIVE
HiTACHi BUiLds A neW PLAnT in MexiCo
METALLURGICAL
Brazilian steel maker Gerdau Corsa is completing construction of a new production plant in the central state of Hidalgo. The 600 million USD site is projected to produce one million tons of semi-finished products and 700,000 tons of structural shapes annually when completed.
www.gerdaucorsa.com.mxpho
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GerdAU CorsA GroWs sTronGer
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Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pací-fico (GAP) plans an invest-ment of approximately 380 million usd in its 12 airports
Tijuana airport, on the north-ern border with California. The new additions to the site will include a bridge within the terminal connecting the Mexico side of the airport with arrival facilities on the US side of the border.
www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx
AUTOMOTIVE
sCHAeFFLer Goes For More
German automotive compo-nent maker Schaeffler will invest approximately 100 million USD to establish a second production plant for its LuK brand in the state of Puebla. The new facility will produce torque converters for export to the company’s production sites in the US and Japan.
www.schaeffler-group.com
between 2015 and 2019. Proj-ects include unifying the two terminals of the Guadalajara airport as well as runway re-paving, construction of access roads, acquisition of passenger transport vehicles, and other upgrades at various airports.
GAP will invest 13.8 mil-lion usd in upgrades at the
BRIEFS BRIEFS
sKG’s FirsT in THe AMeriCAs
IEnova, the Mexican subsidiary of US natural gas utility Sempra Energy, plans investment of 1.2 billion USD in energy industry projects in Mexico. The projects, some of which will be carried out in partnerships with Petróleos Mex-icanos (Pemex) and British Petroleum, include gas and ethane pipelines as well as a wind en-ergy generation park.
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ENERGY
AUTOMOTIVE
LOGISTICS
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AEROSPACE
Virgin Mobile Latin America, subsidiary of UK-based Virgin Group, plans investment of 41.5 million USD to enter the Mexican and Brazilian markets over the next two years. Virgin seeks to take advantage of
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
inVesTMenT in THe PiPeLine
Mexican industrial park operator Parque Industrial Amistad Aero-puerto plans investment of ap-proximately 15 million USD in its facility at Ramos Arizpe, Coa-huila, to accommodate US cooling
equipment manufacturer Nordyne. The new manufacturing infrastructure will be used to produce air conditioning equipment.
www.amistadmexico.com
Japanese motor producer Shinano Kenshi Group (SKG) plans to open a manufacturing plant in the state of Guanajuato in 2015. The site, which will be the company’s first of its kind outside of Asia, will host the production of precision electric motors for automotive, medi-cal and other applications.
The new factory will start production with a working staff of nearly 100 people in an initial space of 4,000 square meters. SKG has targeted annual revenue of 20 million USD by the year 2018 for its Mexico site.
www.shinanokenshi.com
Mexican steel maker Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) plans investment of 370 million USD in Mexico operations. Projects to receive funds include completion of the company’s new El Fénix steel plant in the northern state of Coa-huila, acquisition of new equipment and the opening of new mines.
www.ahmsa.com
METALLURGICAL
inVesTinG To reMAin A LeAder
GoinG For LATin AMeriCAn MArKeT
recent reforms in Mexican telecom-munications law designed to increase competition in the sector.
www.virginmobilelatam.com
dePLoyinG WinGs
US aerospace components maker UTC Aerospace Systems will invest 300 million USD to expand operations at its affiliate location in the northwestern city of Mexi-cali. The site will produce weight-reducing acoustic panels from composite materials for aircraft.
utcaerospacesystems.com
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Negocios ProMéxico |
16 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
cover feature
The journey undertaken by the aerospace industry in Mexico has been simply ex-traordinary. Following the coordinates set out in a National Flight Plan and boosted by the “triple helix”–a joint strategy in-volving business, government, and uni-versities– the sector has recorded annual growth rates of 17.2% in the last nine years and in a short time has emerged as one of the most competitive players on the global market. As if that were not enough, the pilots are now plotting a new course to fly even higher in the coming years.
With a history of operations dat-ing back several decades, in the past ten years Mexico consolidated its position as a stellar player in the aerospace industry.
International companies like Bombardier, Grupo Safran, General Electric (GE), Honeywell, and Eurocopter have found the ideal conditions in Mexico for developing design and engineering centers, laboratories, and production lines capable of adapting rapidly to take on complex jobs to develop new generations of engines, components, and airframes.
A HiGH-FLyinG indUsTry
Having dazzled with its constant growth over the past decade,
the Mexican aerospace industry is taking flight towards new
ambitious goals and setting its course for taking advantage of the potential of the human talent and
local supplies existent in Mexico.
Exports rocketed from 1.3 billion USD in 2004 to almost 5.5 billion in 2013. The main driver of this growth has been the 287 firms and support bodies in the aero-space industry operating in the country, lo-cated in 17 federal entities generate 43,000 direct jobs, out of which 32,600 are high-level professionals.
The future vision for the industry aims at even further growth. “By 2015 we will be capable of generating 52,000 jobs, while exports will exceed 7.5 bil-lion USD and national content in compo-nents will be over 30%,” explains Vladi-miro de la Mora, president of the Mexi-can Federation of Aerospace Industries (FEMIA). The plan anticipates foreign sales reaching 11 billion USD by 2020, with the generation of 100,000 jobs and
national content in the industry supply chains of over 40%.
De la Mora adds that Mexico is cur-rently ranked 15th in the list of global sup-pliers to the industry; the plan is to enter the top ten by 2020.
How are these goals to be achieved? “It will be thanks to the triple helix: the government, with strong support from the authorities and universities, talent train-ing, and companies that see that this kind of industrial work can be done in Mexi-co,” something that is actually reflected in the growth in foreign direct investment.
With the vision of joining forces in a tri-ple helix, a comprehensive plan was created and implemented: the National Flight Plan, which has provided the foundation for de-veloping Mexico’s national strategy for the aerospace sector (ProAéreo).
The most recent version of the Nation-al Flight Plan sets out the scope of each he-lix. The development of talent by the uni-versities and training centers has been key to the evolution of the industry. Mexico is the most significant source of talent in the Americas, with over 110,000 graduates from engineering and technical programs each year. In addition to recent graduates, the country can rely on highly-trained personnel with decades of experience in the automotive, electronics, and medical device industries, among others –that are closely linked to advanced manufacturing.
Vladimiro de la Mora believes that tal-ent development and rapid generation of experience among newly trained profes-sionals are the two great challenges the aerospace industry is facing.
“The challenge is how to develop the specific expertise for this sector from among the engineering graduates,” he points out. “We have to continue to work to swiftly train these young people, this demographic dividend we have. We have to achieve that in less than forty years,” he adds. To achieve that goal, it is necessary to continue to invest in colleges and labo-ratories and to bring over “experienced people to teach us.”
According to ProMéxico, there are 21 educational institutions in the coun-try offering 52 programs in aerospace education, including core courses, high-school qualifications, technical courses, advanced technical-university courses, professional qualifications, engineering degrees –mostly aeronautics and aero-space– and several Master’s programs.
dustry is engaged in manufacturing, 11% in maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) activities –which includes, for ex-ample, plants where aircraft landing gear is repaired– and the remaining 10% covers firms working on research and develop-ment (R+D), according to De la Mora.
International companies like Bombar-dier, Grupo Safran, General Electric (GE), Honeywell and Eurocopter have found the ideal conditions in Mexico for developing design, and engineering centers, laborato-ries and production lines capable of adapt-ing rapidly to take on complex jobs to develop new generations of engines, com-ponents, and airframes.
The National Flight Plan sets out the global trends in the aerospace industry and how some of them are already re-flected in Mexico, such as commercial supply of engines.
In Mexico, firms like GE and Hon-eywell are engaged in new engine R+D, in particular the GenX turbine, which makes fuel savings of almost 15% and reduces the carbon footprint by 30%. Design tests were carried out at the GEIQ center in Querétaro, where the next-generation LEAP-X turbine is also being developed.
In addition to R+D, numerous multi-national companies also assign their air-craft engine MRO activities to Mexico. Firms like Honeywell, GE, and Snecma –together with their respective supply chains– base most of the processes and
In order to align the industry’s needs with training availability, a working group was established to work on the Integrated Strategic Aerospace Education Program, defined by the “triple helix” and coordinated by a committee repre-senting bodies such as FEMIA, the Mexi-can Space Agency (AEM), the Mexican Aerospace Education Board (COMEA), ProMéxico and the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), among others.
IndusTry TrEndsIn the industry strand of this helix, the Mexican aerospace sector makes for an interesting mix: almost 79% of the in-ph
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cover feature
by jESúS ESTRAdA CORTéS
1918 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
cover feature
capacities required to develop engines, from concept and design to manufacture and repair, in Mexico.
Another global trend in the industry is the search for alternative fuels, in the face of international price rises and environ-mental concerns. On July 1, 2012, Inter-national Standard ASTM D7566 for the use of biofuels mixed with conventional jet fuel came into force, stipulating that commercial aircraft must have the capac-ity to fly using biofuels.
The Mexican airline Interjet was the first company on the continent to make commercial flights using biofuel, placing the Mexican aviation industry in the van-guard. Meanwhile, Aeroméxico completed the first transatlantic flight in a wide-body aircraft using bio-jet fuel –the first flight of its kind in the world.
Development of restricted and dual-use high technology is another global trend. As a result of Mexico’s entry to the principal export control regimes –the Was-senaar Arrangement, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Australia Group– increas-
ingly profitable and strategic investment projects have arrived in the country, which possess a high potential to promote com-petitiveness through technological and economic compensation.
The projects under development include combat aircraft, unmanned vehicles, next generation materials, and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services for the aerospace and defense sectors, including software de-sign and other industrial processes.
Another global trend is the develop-ment of new materials and nanocompos-ites, with the aim of making airplanes lighter and quieter. In this field, research centers and specialist laboratories operat-ing in Mexico include the Mexican Mate-rials Research Corporation (COMIMSA), the Research Center for Advanced Materi-als (CIMAV) and the Institute for Materi-als Research (IIM) at the National Autono-mous University of Mexico (UNAM). The dynamics of research has led the industry to develop new materials. An example of that is National Helicopters and Aerial Vehicles (HELIVAN), which is develop-
ing graphene17, a carbon fiber that is 200 times stronger than steel and is used in the aerospace and defense industries.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have experienced meteoric growth in the past decade. They are seen as crucial in the transformation of international defense systems, offering effective solutions with-out risking pilots’ lives. It is expected that the military-use UAV market in the US will grow at a compound annual rate of 12% to reach 18.7 billion USD in 2018.
In Mexico, a number of firms have focused on the manufacture and develop-ment of UAVs. An analysis of trends in this area shows that Mexico has the capacity for specialized manufacturing, talent for R+D, and the international agreements re-lating to dual-use technologies required to become a key supplier in this market.
dEvEloPIng suPPlIErsVladimiro de la Mora puts forward de-velopment of local suppliers as the other major challenge facing the aerospace in-dustry to complete its value chain. “The
challenge lies in assisting small and me-dium enterprises (SMEs) to enter the industry. It is a highly certified sector and we need to examine what kind of incentives and support can be generated so that SMEs can gain certification and acquire the financial capacity to produce samples without impacting on the capital that underpins their operation,” explains De la Mora.
“In Mexico we have geographic and cost advantages; we are just a couple of hours from the largest market in the world, the US, and our labor costs are very com-petitive,” De la Mora affirms. In his view, these advantages have permitted the devel-opment of industrial sectors where Mexico is now a leader on the international stage, like the electronics and automotive indus-tries. The interesting thing is that many suppliers in these industries are already successfully dealing with the aerospace in-dustry, including, for example, Grupo Kuo, whose aerospace division is a supplier for the giant Bombardier.
De la Mora adds: “Right now we are working on a study of the value chain to determine where the areas of opportuni-ty lie in the manufacturing processes and find ways of responding to them. The Ministry of Economy asked us to iden-tify the most important areas in order to approach the major players in the sector on a global scale and convince them to set up in Mexico.”
govErnmEnT bACkIngThis is just one example of the joint work between industry and government, which is the third strand in the triple he-lix of the aerospace development strat-egy. De la Mora remarks that FEMIA works with the government to set up a laboratory for the industry. “It was de-cided to locate it in Querétaro. As an as-sociation we carried out a survey among our members to see what was most need-ed on the basis of what is currently being done in the country,” he explains.
Meanwhile, the Mexican government has set up a number of programs to boost international trade activities, eliminating or reducing bottlenecks, and thereby con-tributing to the efficient integration of lo-cal and global supply chains.
These programs include IMMEX, an in-strument that permits the temporary import of goods required for an industrial process or service aimed at the manufacture, ad-
aptation, or repair of goods from abroad for their subsequent export (or provision of export services), without paying general import taxes, value added tax or, where ap-plicable, antidumping duties. That means import activities are wholly tax-free.
Draw Back is a program that enables beneficiaries to recover the cost of the tax-es paid on importing inputs, raw materials, components and parts, packaging and con-tainers, fuels, lubricants and other materi-als used in the exported product, or for the import of goods that are returned in the same condition, as well as goods used in repairs or alterations.
The National Flight Plan shows that the Mexican government has also pro-gressed in trade facilitation. The Ministry of Economy established a program for gradually reducing tariffs; the implemen-tation of a tariff simplification policy is bringing the country’s tariff levels into line with those of its trading partners, includ-ing the US. Thanks to that measure, sav-ings of over one billion USD for companies have been generated.
Customs and trade facilitation includes the simplification and streamlining of cus-toms clearance procedures, review of do-mestic standards, and homogenization with international standards, among others. Fur-thermore, tariff classification 9806.00.06 was created to provide tariff benefits for imports of inputs for the aeronautics sec-tor in Mexico to increase its competitive-ness. That tariff classification allows tariff-free imports for assembly or manufacture of aircraft or aircraft parts, as well as for goods intended for the repair or mainte-nance of aircraft or aircraft parts, benefit-ting MRO activities.
The strategies and actions deployed by the triple helix benefit all the sectors, agents, and activities in an industry that has set its course and plans to further develop two of its key strengths –human talent and local supplier capacity– to achieve the success anticipated in its flight plan for 2020. What is more, that route can also lead to large-scale achievements, like completing the full assembly of an aircraft in Mexico.
To remove any lingering doubts, Vladi-miro de la Mora reiterates the advantages Mexico offers: “Proximity to the US, sup-port from the government, and economic stability. There is stability in the exchange rate too, which is a significant factor for the aerospace business.” n
In addition to R+D, numerous multinational companies also
assign their aircraft engine MRO activities to Mexico.
Firms like Honeywell, GE, and Snecma –together with their
respective supply chains– base most of the processes and
capacities required to develop engines, from concept and design to manufacture and
repair, in Mexico.
negocios ProMéxico | photo courtesy of airbus group cover feature
21
Negocios ProMéxico |
20 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
Business tips
reGionAL eCosysTeMsrecent years have seen the development and consolidation of several aerospace clusters in Mexico. Particular vocations trigger hubs of competitiveness: that is, regional ecosystems of high-level innovation and coordination that operate in tandem with a national vision. the following are the most important regions for the Mexican aerospace industry from the perspective of exports and coordination between the clusters.
With experience accumulated over more than four decades of manufacturing activity, Baja California is home to 76 companies in the aerospace industry, which together export 1.5 billion USD each year. The target for most of these exports is the US, with the rest going to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other countries. Sales in this state have
bAjA CAlIfornIA
ChIhuAhuA
The state of Nuevo León is well known for its industrial development and leadership in advanced manufacturing. Thanks to its geographi-cal location, combined with its highly qualified human capital and supply network,
QuEréTAro
Thanks to its industrial and advanced manufacturing ca-pacities, Chihuahua is one of the states with greatest po-tential for development in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Chihuahua has five OEMs (Cessna, Beechcraft, Textron
sonorA
Located in Mexico’s northeast, this state is home to one of the largest and best integrated aeronautics machining clusters in the country. Sonora has become a center of excellence in the manufacture of blades and components for turbines and aircraft engines (casting and machining processes, among others). There are more than fifty companies and support bodies in the state, and it exports around 190 million usd.
Sonora also produces a significant level of human resources, with 29,203 graduates in engineering and technology.
The Sonora Institute for Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing (IMAAS) was recently created in the city of Hermosillo in response to the growing demand for trained technicians from the recent investment and expansion by aeronautics sector companies.
With thirty companies and support bodies in the aero-space sector generating exports valued at 693 million USD, Querétaro has established itself as a strategic hub for the global aerospace industry. Some of the companies operating in the state include Bombardier, Grupo Safran (Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and Snecma), Eurocop-ter, Brovedani Reme, Elimco Prettl Aerospace, Galnik, GE Infraestructure, Crio, NDT Export México and ITP.
Querétaro’s success is due to the close relationship
between the state government and industry and support mechanisms that have trig-gered strategic projects like the Aeronautic University in Querétaro (UNAQ), where the study programs (from ba-sic diploma to postgraduate) have been designed around the firms’ requirements. Since 2006, 2,851 students have graduated, a figure expected to increase to 6,500 by 2016.
Also of note is the Aero-nautical Testing and Technol-ogies Laboratory (LABTA), a unique project in Latin
nuEvo lEón
it is one of the best places to do business in Mexico and the rest of North America. With multi-sector industrial experience of more than 100 years, the state has 28 com-panies in the aeronautics sector, with exports totaling
America that comprises three research centers that unite their expertise to present a comprehensive range of labo-ratory tests and services.
The Querétaro Aeroclus-ter comprises thirty manufac-turing and supply companies for structures, parts and com-ponents, three MRO compa-nies, five design and engineer-ing centers, three innovation and development centers, five service companies, three education institutions and a network of innovation and research.
651 million USD per year. One of the keys to the eco-nomic success of Nuevo León is the quality and excellence of its highly competitive edu-cational institutions, from which over 6,000 engineers graduate each year.
shown continued growth since 2002. On the basis of the joint strategy developed by industry, universities and government, Baja California will focus its innovation capacities on knowl-edge process outsourcing (KPO) services for the aerospace and defense industry and will incen-tivize its potential for develop-ment in airframe systems and power plants.
The national strategy for the aerospace industry is paying dividends in knowledge transfer: Mexico’s aeronautic sector is gradually evolving into a strong innova-tion and technology platform for the next generation. The national strategy remains focused on turning Mexico into a destina-tion that supports the complete aircraft life cycle from design and engineering to part manufacturing and assembly, aircraft maintenance, and recycling and/or refur-bishment of end-of-life aircraft.
Mexico’s aerospace strategy is un-paralleled anywhere in the world. It promotes the country’s capacities as a competitive manufacturing partner, be-coming an affordable destination for in-novation and technology development on a project by project basis. The next stage in the development of Mexico’s aerospace and defense (A+D) industry, therefore, is the identification and devel-opment of R+D commitments within the country’s aerospace clusters.
MexiCo’s AerosPACe indUsTry:
BUilding An innovAtion And technology
PlAtforM for the next generAtion
a combination of advanced technological exports, talented engineers, competitively priced and skilled workforce and an effective legal
framework for the protection of industrial property have positioned Mexico as a premier manufacturing hub, poised to evolve into a next
generation technology development platform of great strategic value. International México, Hon-eywell Aerospace and EZ Air Interior Limited) and more than 37 certified suppliers. In this state, more than 42 firms generate 13,000 direct jobs and some 1.5 billion USD of foreign and domestic invest-
ment. Among other capabili-ties, companies in the state focus on composite materials, sheet metal, aerostructures, forging, casting and thermal and surface treatments.
The state also possesses major engineering and design
centers, run by Grupo Safran, Zodiac Aerospace and Hon-eywell Aerospace. In 2013, exports from Chihuahua passed one billion USD. The principal destinations for its exports are the US, Germany, France and Canada.
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by LUIS ARChUNdIA*
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Negocios ProMéxico |
22 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
Business tips
Mexico is a leading producer of jet engines. It has the largest GE research and design center outside the US and Canada –in Querétaro–, where around 1,300 engineers work on projects like the GEnx turbine used on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380.
photo courtesy of bombardier
The country has become an aerospace juggernaut in a relatively short time due to its sophisticated knowledge and innova-tion-driven human capital. Mexican univer-sities produce more engineering graduates than any other country on the continent. On a per capita basis, Mexico graduates three times more engineers than the US. In fact, more than 110,000 engineers gradu-ate every year from science and technology programs in Mexico.
There are currently 287 aerospace companies and related entities operating in Mexico employing some 32,600 highly-skilled professionals. The bulk is concen-trated in five states and the vast majority is registered with the Performance Review Institute’s National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NAD-CAP) and hold Aerospace Standard 91000 (AS9100) certification.
A combination of advanced techno-logical exports, talented engineers, com-petitively priced and skilled workforce, and an effective legal framework for the protection of industrial property have positioned Mexico as a premier manufac-turing hub, poised to evolve into a next generation technology development plat-form of great strategic value to the global aerospace industry.
A case in point is the level of inte-gration of Mexican engineering exper-tise with global operations. Bombardier Aerospace has already employed 200 engineers at its facilities in Querétaro, to provide support to the company’s pro-duction sites in the country. This group of engineers interacts on a daily basis with other engineering teams around the world. With their help, Bombardier Aero-space is capable of managing all aspects
emerge in the global ecosystem capable of generating affordable innovation for the aerospace industry. To meet this de-mand, one of the national government’s priorities is the continuous development and progressive evolution of the Mexi-can aerospace industry.
As a result of this strategic approach and following the Roadmap of the Aero-space Industry designed by ProMéxico’s Business Intelligence Unit, a more ambi-tious and strategic innovation policy is be-ing developed by both the government and the industry to encourage aerospace clus-ters in Mexico to undertake R+D activities and integrate systems and subsystems. Set-ting up world-class research infrastructure is vital to achieving this, given the inclusion of new technologies in new aircraft models.
High technology companies tend to clus-ter around knowledge-producing institu-
tions and the innovation-driven aerospace sector is no exception. For this reason, and in line with the national industrial strategy, the Ministry of Economy has identified Queré-taro and Baja California, among other states, as potential poles of innovation to develop an effective technology potential. Firms are encouraged to go beyond manufacturing and assembling operations and undertake more complex activities, boosting Mexico’s capacities as a relevant player in this world-class high technology industry.
One specific example is the recent set-ting up of RIIAQ (Aerospace Research and Innovation Network Querétaro), a manufacturing and innovation network comprising 29,000 jobs and located in the central Mexico industrial cluster in Querétaro, Mexico’s industrial heartland. The network of collaborative innovation was launched in 2009, and has been built stage by stage. The first challenges were to obtain company buy-in and develop the education and R+D system to support it. Its current challenge is to establish flexi-ble public policies to support new compa-nies coming into Querétaro, local SMEs and industrial R+D.
The development and consolidation of aerospace clusters is often done in stag-es; the first is to build the manufacturing capacities of companies that will form the supply chain. But also, innovation capaci-ties have to be developed in the targeted region. The RIIAQ consists of aerospace companies such as Aernnova, Bombar-dier, ITR, GE, Safran Dowty Messier and Alaxia Aerosystems in conjunction with academic institutions and federal and state governments. Emerging from a Na-tional Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) initiative to stimulate the formation of strategic alliances between public and private actors in priority areas for knowledge, research and the creation of new capacities for the aerospace sector, the RIIAQ is an institutional and inter-disciplinary network in the scientific and technological development of the aero-space industry. It is also a collaboration platform to achieve excellence in research and innovation through interaction and sharing of common goals.
Mexico is a leading producer of jet en-gines. It has the largest GE research and design center outside the US and Canada –in Querétaro–, where around 1,300 en-gineers work on projects like the GEnx turbine used on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner
and the Airbus A380. In 2015, GE plans to open a new 30 million usd facility, right on the heels of one opened early this year at a cost of 20 million usd. The new wing will house GE’s aviation program with roughly 1,000 staff.
Another useful example to illustrate innovation advances by Mexican home-grown talent is 3D Robotics (3DR). This company was founded in 2009 and op-erates in both California, US and Baja California, Mexico. 3D Robotics develops innovative, flexible and reliable personal drones and UAV technology for everyday exploration and business applications. 3DR’s UAV platforms capture breathtak-ing aerial imagery for consumer enjoyment and data analysis, enabling mapping, sur-veying, 3D modeling and more. The com-pany’s technology is currently used across multiple industries around the world, including agriculture, photography, con-struction, search and rescue and ecological study. 3DR is committed to bringing the power of UAV technology to the main-stream market. This company’s success story is being replicated by a new breed of young Tijuana visionaries who are bet-ting on entrepreneurship and innovation by creating a mind hub aiming to work with US aerospace companies and other sophisticated technology industries across the border.
To sum up, Mexico is more than just cost-effective manufacturing and is certainly more than an assembly line. The country is ready to evolve as a next generation technology platform for the global aerospace industry. We are flying to our destiny. n
*Business Intelligence unit, ProMéxico.
related to electrical harnesses, and is the pioneer in México for the manufacture of composite aircraft components, using in-novative production techniques.
Aerospace supply chains are morph-ing. Burgeoning manufacturing clusters are upgrading the technological con-tent of their activities and developing a dedicated technology platform. With the global aerospace industry shifting to an intense activity in commercial aircraft development and manufacturing to offset losses derived from defense budget cuts, many companies are seeking competi-tive and innovation-oriented destinations like Mexico. Apart from its cost-effective manufacturing, Mexico is increasingly seen as an emerging development plat-form for next generation technologies.
Changes in the global production chain bring a demand for new players to
Business tips
25
Negocios ProMéxico |
24 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
THe AerosPACe indUsTry in MexiCo And the french toUch
In the last three decades, the world economy has undergone many changes. Several local economies have been forced to be part of the globalization and the markets corrected their path by developing regional strategies or “nearshoring.” the global aerospace industry is a clear example of this trend.
by GUILLERMO GARzA GARCíA*
The French aviation industry set its sights on Mexico some years ago and has developed a common strategy that
has enabled access to the North American market.
photo courtesy of grupo safran Mexico in the World Mexico in the World
Following the decline of the aviation in-dustry between 2008 and 2009, during 2012 and 2013 there has been a trend to-wards consolidated growth. This recovery is due largely to the increase in air traffic and the establishment of the middle class in emerging or developing economies. This market has been an important driv-er for airlines to report sizeable profits. This trend has been vital for countries like China and India to have developed a clear strategy for the aviation industry and consider the overall manufacture of an aircraft in the next few years in order to compete with companies like Airbus and Boeing and even Bombardier and Embraer, to mention a few.
Mexico has been an important factor in this global transformation. Sharing 3,000 kilometers of border with its northern neighbor, Mexico has firmly established as an attractive destination to accommodate key industry players.
The US is the most important market in this sector with 543 billion USD, some 59% of the global market.
According to the US Department of Trade, Mexico is its sixth largest aero-space supplier. In just a decade, Mexico has developed an industrial platform of 287 companies in this sector, involving the creation of more than 35,000 jobs. The sector has recorded an annual growth rate of 17.2% during the last nine years. These figures would have been unimagi-nable ten years ago.
ThE frEnCh TouChIn 2013, the French aviation industry represented 42.5 billion euros generat-ing 170,000 direct jobs. It is important to mention that 75% of production is export-ed, being a key piece in the country’s trade balance. Almost 900 million euros are des-tined for research and development activi-ties; this has allowed an important rise in technology development in a knowledge-based economy.
The French aviation industry set its sights on Mexico some years ago and has developed a common strategy that has enabled access to the North Ameri-can market.
Worth noting is that in 1990 Labinal began operations in Chihuahua. Howev-er, a decade later several French compa-nies or consortium divisions like Grupo Safran, as well as Zodiac and Radiall, among others, have expanded to other states around the country.
Grupo Safran has been operating in Mexico for more than twenty years with a dual purpose: to be closer to its clients in North America and to win market share in a zone that is clearly thriving. The group has ten centers in the country, with more than 5,000 employees. Grupo Safran is the primary employer of the aviation sector in Mexico.
hIgh-flyIng mExICoToday, the Mexican aviation industry is in consolidation with great challenges and areas of opportunity. On the heels of the success of Mexico’s automotive in-dustry, there has been much emphasis on the development of a local supply chain that enables the creation of a local in-dustrial fabric through the generation of joint ventures and strategic partnerships with foreign companies.
Collaboration between government, academia, and industry has been crucial for the sector to shine. The overwhelming success related to training and skills de-velopment has also been very important. Many programs have been promoted for the purpose of ensuring that the industry has a permanent supply of skilled person-nel with high added value.
Mexico has the potential and condi-tions necessary to be a major player on the world stage of the aviation industry. Ever more companies strive to become part of this success, and to participate in the flight they embarked on. n
*ProMéxico’s representative in Paris, france.
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Negocios ProMéxico |
26 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
In 2008, the company announced that its Querétaro facility would be responsible for the manufacture of the major composite structures for its new Learjet 85 aircraft program, bringing an additional investment of 250 million usd to its Mexico operation.
BoMBArdier: Pioneers to leAders
In less than a decade, canadian aerospace giant Bombardier has gone from pioneer to leader in Mexico’s burgeoning aerospace industry.
by GRAEME STEwART
The rise of Canadian aero-space company Bombardier in Mexico has been nothing short of breathtaking.
Not content with gain-ing a foothold in Mexico by opening its aerospace facility in Querétaro in 2005, the company has continued to grow thanks to a total invest-ment of 500 million USD in its central Mexico plant.
With some 1,800 mainly Mexican employees, Bombar-dier is now as synonymous with Querétaro as the local football team, Querétaro FC. Its benefit to the local economy has been huge, but if Bombar-dier has been good for Queré-taro, then so too has Querétaro been good for Bombardier.
That is a fact freely ac-knowledged by Joelle Cournoy-er, the company’s Vice President of Operations in Mexico. “We have been very impressed with our Mexican workforce. They are young, enthusiastic, and ea-ger to learn. Couple that with the fantastic cooperation we receive from state and federal governments and you can see how we have been so successful in Mexico,” she says.
Cournoyer recalls Bom-bardier’s close connections with Querétaro began in 2005 when the company announced the city’s selection as its loca-
tion for additional manufac-turing capacity with an initial investment of 200 million USD. One year later, Bombar-dier began manufacturing the flight control for the Q400 turboprop, as well as the aft fuselage for the Global family of business jets.
In 2008, the company announced that its Querétaro facility would be responsible for the manufacture of the major composite structures for its new Learjet 85 aircraft pro-gram, bringing an additional investment of 250 million USD to its Mexico operation.
And in 2011, a mere five years after starting its Queré-taro operation, Bombardier announced a further 50 mil-lion USD investment for the manufacture of the aft fuselage for its new Global 7000 and Global 8000 business jets.
Cournoyer can’t hide her glee at Bombardier’s Mexican success story. “Our decision to set up in Querétaro has been a great success. When we were looking around for an addi-tional manufacturing facility, Mexico was a stand out be-cause the country had a good economy and was a member of NAFTA, as was Canada. There was a large labor force available and strong support from federal and state govern-
ticularly pleasing. “One other thing that pleases me greatly is how we have integrated into the fabric of Querétaro soci-ety and we now have links to several institutions of higher education. We have collabora-tion agreements with the Aero-nautic University in Queré-taro (UNAQ) and the nearby Technological University of San Juan del Río to develop aerospace training programs and we also have collabora-tion agreements that include thesis projects, working intern-ships, recruitment programs and job opportunities at the Valle de México University, the
ments. All these factors were big plusses, great advantages for us. Setting up in Querétaro is a decision we have never had cause to regret,” she says.
The VP admitted that the advantages of NAFTA have been considerable and impor-tant in Bombardier’s success in Mexico. “It can’t be denied that being able to benefit from better tariffs for goods and services, labor mobility, allow-ances, policies encouraging local investments, and more have helped us enormously. For example, we recently, had the successful completion of the new Learjet 85’s first test flight.
photos courtesy of bombardier Mexico’s Partner Mexico’s Partner
Querétaro’s input to the Learjet 85 project is the fuselage man-ufacturing and wing assembly. Of specific note is Querétaro’s participation in the develop-ment of advanced composite technologies and materials for the Learjet 85’s fuselage. We are very happy with the quality of those composite parts and are now concentrating on refin-ing our production process,” Cournoyer says.
Bombardier has sponsored several environmental proj-ects in Querétaro but it is the educational links between the company and colleges in the area that Cournoyer finds par-
National Polytechnic Institute, the Technological Institute of Querétaro, the Autonomous University of Querétaro and the Tecnológico de Monter-rey,” Cournoyer says.
In conclusion, Cournoyer states: “When we started in 2005, we were aerospace pio-neers and now we are working to become leaders in our field in Mexico. We are very proud to be in Querétaro and we plan to continue our success for the benefit not only of this federal entity but also of the whole country.” n
www.bombardier.com
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Negocios ProMéxico |
28 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
AirBUs GroUP And MexiCo,PArtners on BoArd
Both supplier and client, however we look at it, Mexico is a key hub in the global business of airbus, a company with an annual turnover of 57.6 billion euros and a workforce of 139,000 employees worldwide.
The relationship between the current state of the aerospace industry in Mexico and the ex-pansion of the Airbus Group out of Europe and towards other strategic regions is in-creasingly evident.
On the one hand, Mexico is a major production hub in the chain of inputs and services required by the con-stituent entities of the global corporation –Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space, and Airbus
Helicopters. On the other, the firm is a major player in Latin America, while a large number of low-cost airlines –which use Airbus aircraft– have increased their participation in domestic markets in a sustained manner.
Frédéric Garcia, CEO of Airbus Group Mexico, con-firms that in the past six years the number of suppliers based in Mexico has tripled and is expected to double between now and 2020. Those projec-
Mexico will continue to be present at a key moment for the corporation at which it is further boosting the internationalization of its procurement. According to forecasts from Airbus Group Global Sourcing Network, by 2020 around 40% of the group’s purchases will be made in countries outside of Western Europe.
Mexico’s Partner
tions, in his view, are inde-pendent of the decisions to be taken by the corporation with regard to the final assembly plant it recently set up in Mo-bile, Alabama, in the US.
“In our view, Mexico is a very significant country in terms of procurement; in fact, our ex-perts have identified the country as one of the leaders worldwide in that area,” he states.
According to Garcia, Air-bus Group Mexico currently
employs 400 people directly, while some 5,000 jobs in the country indirectly depend on the operations of the pan-Eu-ropean giant of the aerospace industry.
It is worth emphasizing that in May, 2014, Airbus Defence and Space Mexico won recognition as a “Best Place to Work” for the fourth time in the ranking drawn up by CNN Expansión and Top Companies.
Mexico’s mark as a suppli-er country is found in a num-ber of Airbus models including Airbus Helicopters which manufactures in Querétaro the door structures for its A320 family, and Grupo Safran, which produces the cabling for the A380 in Chihuahua, and, again in Querétaro, compo-nents for the aircraft’s brak-ing system. Other providers located in Chihuahua include Zodiac, which is responsible
for the emergency slides, and Honeywell, which delivers parts for the turbine systems. Elsewhere, turbine parts are manufactured in Nuevo León and components for aircraft structures in Sonora.
To that must be added the potential positive impact of transferring Airbus’s fi-nal assembly lines to North America, which would imply, as the company has indicated in recent months, a gradual increase in the demand from suppliers in the southern US and north of Mexico.
Meanwhile, Mexico will continue to be present at a key moment for the corporation at which it is further boosting the internationalization of its procurement. According to forecasts from Airbus Group Global Sourcing Network, by 2020 around 40% of the group’s purchases will be made in countries outside of Western Europe. To that must be added the growing demand for aircraft resulting from the current expansion of low-cost airlines: a large volume of the A320 family and also of wide-body aircraft such as the A330, A350 and A380.
Garcia describes the situ-ation as follows: “There are a number of factors to explain the increasing share of Mexico in the Airbus Group supply chain. One is the growth in demand for aircraft itself. As a group we have a consolidated order backlog as of December 2013 worth 687 billion euros and a large percentage of that is allocated to procurement.”
Mexican bodies for busi-ness promotion and support have done their bit, Garcia acknowledges, in terms of public policies to develop the aerospace industry in Mexico as a strategic sector. “We have maintained an excellent relationship with ProMéxico, for example, over many years. They were involved from the
start in our project to estab-lish a plant in Querétaro and their support has been very valuable in bringing those plans to fruition.”
AErosPACE IndusTry on ThE uPAccording to a number of mar-ket projections, Mexico will purchase 634 aircraft over the next 20 years. Most of these will be single-aisle models, like the Airbus A320, but a number of wide-body craft are also under consideration.
“We are not mistaken in claiming that air traffic in-creases, on average, at double the rate of a country’s growth, which is a good indicator for Mexico over the next few years. The demand for air travel in the country will grow at a sig-nificant rate,” Garcia considers. He continues: “In this context, low-cost airlines like Volaris, VivaAerobus, and Interjet have determined that the new genera-tion of Airbus aircraft, which provide efficiency savings and low fuel consumption, are suit-able for that sector of the air transport market.”
Indeed, one of the aspects Airbus Group is mostly pro-moting around the world is
its investment in research and development to offer the market products with a reduced envi-ronmental impact, modernizing air travel and boosting the use of alternative fuels.
In October 2013, the Mexi-can company VivaAerobus, part of the IAMSA group, made history by signing a con-tract with Airbus Group for the largest ever order of aircraft for a Latin American airline. The purchase order is for 52 aircraft –40 A320neo and 12 A320ceo– which represents a full renewal of the fleet, a tran-sition that will be complete by the end of 2016. Meanwhile, in 2012, Volaris and Interjet have placed orders for 44 and 40 aircraft respectively.
Moreover, Airbus Defence and Space recently demon-strated its A400M aircraft to Mexican authorities. “We have
received very positive opinions from users and now the deci-sion lies with them –but we firmly believe this is an aircraft highly suited to Mexico’s needs, above all in terms of civil pro-tection,” says Garcia.
At the same time, the company’s plans to set up two maintenance bases have been revealed, one in the center and another in the south of the country, which would service some twenty CN235 and C295 aircraft.
So it is that Mexico and Airbus have found the right formula to remain partners in flight on a journey that, according to many forecasts, points to the consolidation of the Mexican aerospace indus-try as a key player on the sec-tor’s global stage. n
www.airbus.com
photo courtesy of airbus group Mexico’s Partner
by OMAR MAGAñA
31
Negocios ProMéxico |
30 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
photos courtesy of monterrey aerospace Mexico’s Partner
MonTerrey AerosPACe:high fliers
Monterrey Aerospace has become the foremost origi-nal equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the Nuevo León aerocluster, sending finished products to the US for use in the military sector.
Despite the workload rep-resented by completing deliv-ery of 24 airframes for Boe-ing’s Apache AH-6i –a light combat and reconnaissance military helicopter– as well as MD Helicopters’ commercial
models MD500E, MD530F, MD600N and MD520N, for which Monterrey Aerospace is the principal supplier, the company is participating in industry fairs such as Pro-México Global in order to present itself to potential cus-tomers and expand its portfo-lio of domestic suppliers.
Teresa Galindo, General Director of Monterrey Aero-space, explains that its inde-pendence with regard to the
a company based in apodaca, Nuevo León is responsible for a good number of Mexican components finding their way into the top flight of helicopter models. Its strategy is based on working with quality and meeting the most demanding standards.
MD Helicopters corporation, located in Mesa, Arizona, allows the Mexican firm to promote its own capabilities in the development of parts for the aerospace industry, spread the quality of its man-ufacturing and the vertical integration achieved so far to win over more customers.
The company under Galindo’s charge carries out machining and forming pro-cesses for sheet metal, metal
bonding for bonding structural and non-structural metals, spot welding of aluminum and steel, and application of chemical treatments on alumi-num and component assembly. Having control of the entire chain and doing so under the strict standards of the Interna-tional Traffic in Arms Regula-tions (ITAR) makes Aerospace Monterrey a reliable company that is able to meet high prior-ity requirements.
EIghT yEArs of vErTICAl growThMonterrey Aerospace was established in Apodaca, Nuevo León –in the metropolitan area of Monterrey– in 2006. Its goal at the time, according to Galindo, was only to produce minor subassemblies for MD Helicopters but, by 2007, the company had already succeed-ed in developing a complete fuselage with parts imported from the US and others manu-factured in Mexico.
Currently, 62% of the parts for the fuselage of MD’s commercial models are manu-factured in Monterrey and, in the case of fuselages for military use, Mexican content reaches 90%.
“The idea is to continue to increase assembly of parts in Mexico. Currently, some sup-pliers are based in the US but we want to vertically integrate to increase Mexican content,” Galindo reveals.
The goal, according to the company’s director general, is that by the end of 2014, Mon-terrey Aerospace increases the number of parts produced at its plant from 1,800 to 2,000. That will largely be possible thanks to advances in the MD Helicopters’ ongoing program to produce its own model for the area of defense.
This shift will also mean an increase in the workforce of the firm from 150 to 180 people, as well as new chal-lenges for the company and its human capital, which will have to develop capabilities that are not yet fully inte-grated into existing curricula in technical and engineering schools. Partners, Galindo says, “must have a good abil-ity to learn new things and adapt to change swiftly.”
Monterrey Aerospace has six month training plans for new technicians. In addition, it has formed links with the Polytechnic University of Apo-
daca in the areas of innovation and product development.
mIlITAry grAdETogether with the above, the Mexican company and its staff have a high level of responsibil-ity and commitment with the US authorities, institutions, and protocols –such as Interna-tional Traffic in Arms Regula-tions (ITAR)–, since the project began production of airframes for armed helicopters.
In 2010, Boeing and MD Helicopters signed an agree-ment to produce jointly and sell the AH-6i, a new version of the legendary Apache. The con-struction of the prototype began in 2009 in Mesa, Arizona.
Boeing won a contract with the US armed forces that led to a commission for 24 airframes that is currently oc-cupying part of the workforce at Monterrey Aerospace.
“We have a license from the US State Department that au-thorizes us to manufacture these products,” Galindo confirms.
That makes Monterrey Aerospace the first Mexican OEM to deliver final products for the military sector to the US and projections indicate the firm will continue to work on these
airframes during 2015 and into 2016. After that, orders are lined up from MD itself, which intends to become a full com-petitor in the same sector.
The next step is to involve other firms in the vertical expansion of the company. Teresa Galindo explains that the corporation is interested in more Mexican companies obtaining certification, so they can become suppliers. To date only two workshops –one
Monterrey Aerospace was established in 2006. Its goal at the time was only to produce minor subassemblies for MD Helicopters but, by 2007, the company had already succeeded in developing a complete fuselage with parts imported from the US and others manufactured in Mexico. Currently, 62% of the parts for the fuselage of MD’s commercial models are manufactured in Monterrey and, in the case of fuselages for military use, Mexican content reaches 90%.
for coating processes and one that manufactures aluminum pieces– are on her books.
Meanwhile, relationships with both state and federal governments have been fruit-ful, since “the triple-helix idea works perfectly for us. The government offers incentives for firms to keep going and over time increase their produc-tivity,” concludes Galindo. n
www.mdhelicopters.com
Mexico’s Partner
by OMAR MAGAñA
33
Negocios ProMéxico |
32 July 2014
| Negocios ProMéxico
July 2014
photos courtesy of fokker aerostructures
by OMAR MAGAñABUsinesses oF A FeATHer flock together
The state of Chihuahua has taken giant steps down the road to creating a solid, dy-namic aerospace cluster. Four original equipment manufac-turers (OEMs) –Cessna, Tex-tron International, Beechcraft, and Honeywell– have set up shop in this northern state, along with over twenty related companies. One of these is Fokker Aerostructures, a Fok-ker Technologies business unit that specializes in light weight aircraft structures like tail as-semblies, wing components and fuselage panels.
Piloting Fokker Aero-structures in Mexico is José Luis Rodríguez Ramos, who has been president of the Chihuahua Aerospace Cluster since 2013. “It’s a win-win relationship,” he says.
Rodríguez has witnessed at first hand the growth of Chi-huahua’s aerospace industry over the last two decades and is a promoter of the aircraft main-tenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) base that will be built here between 2014 and 2015.
Chihuahua’s consolidation as an aerospace industry hub in Mexico was a decisive fac-tor in persuading Fokker Tech-nologies, a global company of Dutch origin that has pro-duction centers in Rumania, Turkey, Canada, the US, Sin-gapore, and China, to transfer some of its larger projects to Mexico –projects like the as-sembly of the empennage and moving parts of the wings of business jets for different well recognized customers.
“Our strategy was to de-velop a world class plant that could compete with the Euro-peans and Americans in terms of quality but at a lower cost. We, as Fokker, agreed to bring in know-how from the Neth-erlands, where Fokker has existed for one hundred years. We brought in people with as much as twenty or thirty years’ experience to participate in a process we call training the trainers,” says Rodríguez.
The 70,000-square-foot plant opened its hatches in March 2012. In attendance at the opening ceremony were Steven Soederhuizen, Opera-tions Vice President of Fokker Aerostructures, and Hans Büt-hker, then President of Fokker Aerostructures and current CEO of Fokker Technologies.
At the time, it was an-nounced that Fokker had made an initial investment of 15 million USD. The plan was to begin with ninety person business units, consolidate a first working phase with five active projects, and expand from there in phases with plants with the same charac-teristics as the existing one during the coming years.
fokkEr ChIhuAhuA In CruIsE modE Three of the five projects as-signed to the Chihuahua plant are already at the sustaining stage, while the required num-
chihuahua’s rapidly expanding aerospace cluster has attracted fokker technologies, a company that knows the business inside out.
ber of products are on line and meet quality standards.
These entail the assembly of rear wings, tails, elevators, and wing rudders for business jets. The fourth project –the assem-bly of composite floor panels for business jets– will get under-way in September 2014.
“The transfer of technolo-gy has begun. We have people in the Netherlands learning to assemble composites and the infrastructure is being read-ied,” says Rodríguez.
The fifth project is related to the agreement on starting manu-facturing empennages for a new customer into the Fokker Mex-ico Aerostructures Plant during the second part of this year.
If there was ever any doubt about Mexico’s ability to pro-duce goods for the aerospace sector, these have been dissipat-ed. Several sources predict that by 2016 Chihuahua will be the chief pole of competitiveness in Latin America if it continues to promote high-tech industries and dual-use goods.
Fokker, which is in the process of transitioning from a European to a global enter-prise, has chosen Chihuahua as its production base to serve the North American market and, according to Rodríguez, the goal is to expand gradually and help the company reach its global sales target of one billion USD by 2020.
In the shorter term, the Chihuahua plant needs to en-sure the transfer of know-how “is successful and that poten-tial customers like Bombardier and other companies located in Mexico come to trust and look up to us,” says Rodríguez.
Fokker Chihuahua boasts AS9100C, EASA Part-21, and other certifications granted by its customers, and complies with regulations governing the sector in Mexico. And because its manufacturing processes are aligned with those pat-
ented by its parent company, it enjoys the complete trust of the latter and its customers.
Not only has Dutch know-how been transferred to Mexico but also Fokker Chihuahua has been given the freedom to adapt it and has striven for excellence with the help of strategic alliances with academic institutions and gov-ernment agencies in Mexico.
Furthermore, “because aerospace has been classed a strategic sector in Mexico, Fok-ker Aerostructures has access to municipal, state, and federal government incentives intended to foster the development of the industry,” says Rodríguez.
ThE AmErICAn suPPly ChAInThe coming on line of the Chihuahua plant brought
with it the migration of the supply chain for the OEM’s, with Fokker Aerostructures now purchasing its raw ma-terials –minor metal struc-tures, laminates, thermal and processed components, paint, sealants, and riblets– within the NAFTA zone. “The idea is that Mexican companies will supply more of these materials in the future,” con-cludes Rodríguez.
Right now, there is a constant toing and froing between Mexico and the US. The company has a purchas-ing office in Atlanta, Georgia, with the objective of the de-velopment of the supply chain in the US and Mexico. n
www.fokker.com
Fokker, which is in the process of transitioning from a European to a global enterprise, has chosen Chihuahua as its production base to serve the North American market and, according to Rodríguez, the goal is to expand gradually and help the company reach its global sales target of one billion usd by 2020.
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Mexico’s Partnerphoto courtesy of aernnova
Why Mexico? According to Pérez, when Aernnova embarked on its internationalization process, it analyzed countries like India, Morocco, and China, but in the end opted for Mexico due to the advantages it offered over other contenders.
“A comprehensive solution” is how Aernnova Mexico defines itself. This aerospace company currently rakes in as much as 50 million USD a year and its goal is to triple revenues within the next three years.
Aernnova has been around for less than a de-cade under its current trade-mark, although its roots can be traced back to Gamesa Aeronáutica, a Spanish mul-tinational that was engaged in the aerospace sector since the 1980s and that also had a presence on the industrial and automotive markets, among others.
In 2006, we had the chance to do something dif-ferent, so we went out on a limb with the incorporation of Aernnova, a completely new company,” says Javier Pérez Alcaide, CEO of Aern-nova’s Mexican operations.
Aernnova designs, manu-factures, and assembles air-
craft structures and renders engineering services in the same sector. “Our core ac-tivities are the design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft structures and the rendering of services for our customers,” says Pérez.
In record time, the com-pany began to expand be-yond the borders of its native Spain, to the point where it now boasts eleven work centers in its home market, two plants in Mexico, one in Brazil, another in Rumania, and an engineering center in the US.
Why Mexico? Accord-ing to Pérez, when Aernnova embarked on its internation-alization process, it analyzed countries like India, Morocco and China, but in the end opted for Mexico due to the advantages it offered over other contenders.
“The main reason we chose Mexico was its loca-tion. It was the country that
delivered the best balance between competitiveness and proximity to the customer. Most of our larger customers are in Canada and the US, and Mexico was an excellent base from which to expand the business,” says Pérez.
Yet Mexico’s strategic geographical location wasn’t the only reason Aernnova came here. In addition to quality infrastructure and trained human resources, the company was attracted by a “stable economy closely linked to the dollar and with few surprises. Other parts of the world didn’t offer that stability, the kind of stability that has enabled us to plan and act for the long term,” says Pérez.
Aernnova’s two Mexican plants are in Querétaro and together cover an area of 30,000 square meters and employ approximately 750
people. Mexico, says Pérez, is a special case within the consortium because it offers its customers comprehensive solutions. And it can do that precisely because it has two plants, one for the manufac-ture of large structures and another that makes metal components.
“We have complete con-trol over the supply chain. The comprehensive services we offer give us a huge com-petitive edge and what is so unique about Aernnova is that we can design, manufac-ture and assemble structures and components, which
greatly simplifies logistics for customers because it means they only have to negotiate with one supplier. In other words, we offer a tangible advantage,” says Pérez.
Bombardier, Beechcraft, Sikorsky, Bell Helicopter, and Embraer are just some of the customers that have availed themselves of Aernnova’s solutions.
Pérez sees a promising future for the company in Mexico. “Foreign companies have come to Mexico and the market is expected to post considerable growth in the years to come. The main
challenge,” he says, “will be to consolidate the supply chain.”
In the short term, Aern-nova plans to focus on strengthening its two produc-tion lines in Mexico and its goal is to end the year with earnings of 70 million USD.
“Three years from now, we aim to be generating revenues of approximately 150 million USD and haven’t ruled out the possibility of taking up new initiatives with a view to expanding the business,” concludes Pérez. n
www.aernnova.com
AernnoVA,All-in-one AerosPAce solUtions
annual earnings of some 50 million USD make the Mexican operations of this Spanish-based aerospace company a major contributor to global sales.
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
Mexico’s Partner
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Mexico’s Partner photos courtesy of antair
AnTAir FUeLs UPfor the fUtUre
If the aerospace industry can sustain current growth rates, demand for aircraft maintenance services and spare parts will increase. antair is preparing for that eventuality.
by OMAR MAGAñA
In 2009, Antair, which has been rendering air taxi services for Altos Hornos de México and its subsidiaries since 1995, obtained permission from Mexico’s Civil Aeronautics Authority (DGAC, Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil) to set up its own maintenance shop. Shortly afterwards, between 2012 and 2013, the company decided to expand its facilities so it could not only service its own aircraft but also those of third parties.
In May 2013, following the granting of certifications by Eurocopter of Mexico and Turbomeca Mexico (Safran Group), Antair became the first maintenance, service, and inspection center for the for-
mer’s Ecureuil helicopters and the latter’s Arriel engines.
The investment required to get this project off the ground has been substantial, to say the least, but necessary to keep up with Mexico’s aerospace sector, which is experiencing rapid growth, not just in the areas of aircraft manufac-turing and assembly but in demand for maintenance and repair services.
According to sector docu-ments compiled by ProMéxi-co, Mexico has the potential to become a global pole for a full range of aircraft services. Antair has been quick on the uptake and is already tak-ing steps toward becoming a market leader within its area
Mexico’s Partner
of influence: North of Mexico and the south of the US.
“We’re going to see a lot more growth. Since 2004, Mexico’s aerospace industry has registered sustained an-nual growth of almost 20%, and, in 2012, the value of its products and services in-creased 5.4 billion USD, posi-tioning Mexico fourth on the list of countries to receive the most foreign investment in this sector,” says Antair Ad-ministrative Director Mario Alberto Estrada.
Antair operates out of the Venustiano Carranza de Frontera International Airport in Coahuila, where it has two maintenance hangars, one cov-ering 566 square meters and the other 2,450 square meters, and a jet fuel storage facil-ity with a capacity of 83,000 liters. That location is strategic to its expansion, since it means the company can render ser-
vices both north and south of the border with the US.
According to Estrada, “this is a period of substantial in-vestment” and among Antair’s priorities are the acquisition of specialized infrastructure, training for its mechanics, and the forging of strategic alli-ances with manufacturers of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft and aircraft engines.
AddEd-vAluE AllIAnCEs To date, Antair has acquired experience in the repair and maintenance of Class 2, 3 and 4 jets –Pilatus’ PC12-47/E and Kodiak’s 100 model (2), Gulf-stream’s G-100, Gulfstream’s G-II, G-III, G-IV and G-V; Cessna’s C550 and Dassault’s F10 (3), and G-V and Cessna’s C-680 (4)–, and in the repair and maintenance of Class 1 helicopters, including Euro-copter’s AS355N, AS350B3 and AS350B3e models, Tur-
bomeca’s Arriel 2B, 2B1 and 2D engines, Pratt & Whitney’s PTAA6A-67B/P, PT6A-34, PW-306C and JT15D-4 mod-els, Honeywell’s TFE 731-40R-200G and TFE731-2-1C, and Rolls Royce’s SPEY 511-8 and Tay Park 611-8. It also conducts altimetric inspections and has a nickel, cadmium, and lead-acid battery shop.
When Eurocopter of Mex-ico and Turbomeca Mexico heard about Antair’s 2012-2013 expansion, they got in touch with the company, made the necessary visits, and pro-moted the alliances that result-ed in the company becoming an authorized service center.
“Antair has always been a company concerned with qual-ity in its operations and in the areas of employee training and safety,” says Estrada. “When the Eurocopter and Safran executives came, they saw that everything was in order and we were able to para apply for and obtain certification.”
The company is currently seeking to establish an alliance with Honeywell Aerospace for the distribution of its products, services and warranties in Mexico and has plans to enter into alliances with other avi-
When Eurocopter of Mexico and Turbomeca Mexico heard about Antair’s 2012-2013 expansion, they got in touch with the company, made the necessary visits, and promoted the alliances that resulted in the company becoming an authorized service center.
onic companies similar to those it currently enjoys with Euro-copter and Safran. “A strategic alliance with manufacturers translates into added value for our customers because it’s a guarantee everything is done by the book,” says Estrada.
TrAInIng As A dIffErEnTIATor When Antair decided to start rendering third party ser-vices, it set itself the goal of becoming a market leader on the strength of its mechan-ics’ dedication to the job and level of expertise.
“We are implementing an intensive training program. We have sixteen mechanics, with twenty years’ experience on average, applying for Ameri-can licenses,” says Estrada. These licenses, combined with the validation of its shop and FAA authorization will enable Antair to focus its commercial efforts on the US, where it has the advantage of being a close service option that offers qual-ity at competitive costs.
Despite the outlays of 2009 and 2012 for the ac-quisition of machinery, the expansion of its shop and the swelling of its payroll from four to sixteen mechanics, Antair continues to spend considerable sums on send-ing its mechanics to aircraft maintenance centers and fac-tories in the US and Europe for training. “Several of our technicians are specializing with a view to becoming Mas-ter Technicians,” says Estrada.
To keep the company on an even growth trajectory on a par with that of Mexico’s aerospace industry, Antair will continue to spend on train-ing, take measures to attract more investment, and make an incursion into other service areas, such as aircraft painting and non-destructive testing. n
www.antair.mx
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dUrAnGo in the Blood
Sometimes the elements that make things work are out of sight. that is the case of cables, without which it is impossible to conceive of aircraft flight. Mexico participates in the production of that invisible but essential item to reach the skies.
new investments, more infra-structure and contracts were available in the state as an effect of Airbus’ global growth and migration to America.
“Airbus has been grow-ing; it has been successful in Europe and Asia and that has created a synergy between suppliers. It has forced us to grow with them,” says Pal-lares, who expects that by the end of 2015 the firm will be operating at 100% of its in-stalled capacity. The escalation of manufacturing levels by Airbus in the US will be a sig-nificant moment for Durango and its aerospace sector.
However, Prysmian and Draka propose not only to advance in step with their current clients but also to expand their client portfolio. Pallares adds that they will attack the US market with renewed confidence, in order to win the trust of developers like Boeing, and compete with firms that are at the top of the game in the US market.
Prysmian Group and Draka operate two manufactur-ing plants in Durango, one of which is focused on the production of latest genera-tion cables for the aerospace industry, with the technologi-cal characteristics demanded by OEMs to create lighter and more efficient units.
Prysmian, a multinational corporation from Milan that is listed on the Italian stock exchange, is a global leader in the manufacture of cables for electrical and telecommunica-tions infrastructure and indus-try, with global sales of seven billion Euros (2013) and opera-tions in 91 plants in 50 coun-tries. It is a connections giant to which Mexico –and in particu-lar, Durango– provides human capital and commitment for its activities in the aerospace and automotive industries.
The corporation has a sales office and warehouse in the Mexican capital to manage and sell the solutions in the country that make up its worldwide portfolio. In Durango, it oper-ates the cable factory for the automotive industry –which it acquired in 2006 from Interna-tional Wire Group and which has been active in the state since 2001– and the factory that since 2009 has produced much of the cabling that is used in the most modern Airbus aircraft.
“Prysmian has long been a preferred supplier for Airbus
Prysmian Durango’s sales are mainly to cover for Airbus’ cabling needs for its different programs, going from models A320 to A350, and the new A380, which is Airbus’ largest aircraft. Everything that is produced in Durango belongs to the new range of cabling designs based on technology that reduces weight and increases temperature resistance.
photos courtesy of prysmian group Mexico’s Partner
in Europe, and the decision of the pan-European aerospace company to grow its operations in America is an invitation for Prysmian to start operations in Mexico,” says Ramon Pallares, General Director of the group for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. “The truth is that the project began in Mexico at the request of Airbus, which has us as one of its global suppliers,” he emphasizes.
According to Pallares, Prysmian Durango’s sales are mainly to cover for Airbus’ cabling needs for its different programs, going from models A320 to A350, and the new A380, which is Airbus’s larg-est aircraft. Everything that is produced in Durango belongs to the new range of cabling de-signs based on technology that reduces weight and increases temperature resistance.
Prysmian and Draka are Tier-2 companies that deliver their products to harness com-panies. That is true of their production in Mexico, which is destined for Labinal plants run by the French Safran Group in Mexico and Morocco; LAtelec, part of the French group Late-coere in Mexico and Tunisia; and Fokker in Europe.
InsIdE The establishment of Draka and Prysmian in Durango marked the beginning of operations for the aerospace industry. In 2012,
Currently, Prysmian’s Mexico factories employ some 350 people –275 in the auto-motive sector and 75 in aero-space. “The human resources we have found in Durango are of very good quality, the experience in the automotive sector has been positive and that is why we decided to open a plant at this technical level,” Pallares explains.
Part of those human re-sources have been sent to France to train in the produc-tion processes undertaken in a factory that holds EN9100 and ISO9001 certifications, as well as the certificates given by Airbus itself to suppliers.
ConTExTPallares acknowledges that Durango is a good site to set up business, despite the fact that the state does not yet have an aerospace cluster like those developed in states like Baja California, Chihuahua, Queré-taro, Sonora, and Nuevo León. “The support we have received
from the state government has been excellent. ProMéxico has also provided significant assis-tance,” Pallares remarks.
Raw materials, however, are not sourced locally because the suppliers “are not even in Amer-ica; most are located in Europe, since it was a product Airbus originally developed there,” says Pallares. However, the trend, he explains, will force them to gradually move towards this part of the world. These are companies that are already opening warehouses along the Mexico-US border and, as Pal-lares predicts, may set up pro-duction in this country.
On the tendency of compa-nies connected to the complex network of the aerospace industry to move to the Ameri-cas –and in particular Mexico– Pallares concludes that “it is becoming a very important sec-tor for the country. Gradually, they will replace the industries at a lower technical level.” n
prysmiangroup.com
Mexico’s Partner
by OMAR MAGAñA
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eLiMCo-PreTTL AerosPACe,Wired for sUccess
the company’s plant in Querétaro, Mexico contributes to the one billion euros this multinational turns over every year.
photos courtesy of elimco-prettl aerospace
Two established firms merge to give rise to a third of even grander proportions. That is the simple formula adopted by Elimco-Prettl Aerospace, an international manufacturer of electrical wiring harnesses for aircraft that set up a plant in Mexico a few years back to supply its main markets: North America and Europe.
“Mexico offers many ad-vantages compared to countries like Spain or France. There is skilled labor, which, although trained in other sectors, in a different type of manufacturing, is good and competitive,” says Rafael Navarro, Elimco-Prettl Aerospace Commercial and Contracts Director
At its Mexican plant, Elimco-Prettl Aerospace manu-
factures electrical wiring har-nesses, which basically contain all an aircraft’s cables and can vary in length from fifty centi-meters to ten meters.
“The company’s line of business includes the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, and delivery of electrical wiring harnesses for military and com-mercial aircraft,” says Navarro.
Shoring up its aerospace division is the economic clout of two reputable firms with experience in the industrial sector: Prettl is a multinational of German origin with over 10,000 employees, 33 plants in twenty countries, and a longstanding tradition in the automotive sector, primarily in the electrical and electronics side; while Elimco is a Span-
ish firm that has been working with companies like France’s Airbus for some time now.
In fact, it was Airbus that encouraged both companies to broaden its horizons, creating a joint venture that has posi-tioned itself on the aerospace sector in no time at all.
“(Both companies) want-ed to develop an aerospace line. In 2010, they entered into a joint venture with rep-resentation in Mexico, in the city of Querétaro to be pre-cise. More than anything, it was a transfer of know-how from Elimco to Prettl and obviously we are focused on markets in Mexico, the US, Spain, France and Germany,” says Navarro.
Elimco-Prettl views Mexico as a gateway to the North and Latin American markets. As for its decision to settle down in Querétaro, several factors played a part, namely the fact that Prettl has had a presence there for almost forty years.
“As chance would have it, Prettl had a history of op-erating in Mexico and so the merger came about. Being in Querétaro gives you enormous advantages: you’re well con-nected to other states like Guanajuato and have access to airports in Mexico City and Querétaro. Also, Prettl imports a lot of materials via Veracruz and Laredo, so these two fac-tors –geographical location and existing infrastructure– were central to the signing of the agreement,” says Navarro.
“However,” he adds, “an even more important factor was the boom Querétaro’s aerospace sector has experi-
enced. Over the last three or four years, the state govern-ment has been promoting the sector by organizing fairs, events and trade missions and offering tax, trade, and stra-tegic incentives to companies like ours. It’s a set of condi-tions that, together, paint a bright development outlook.”
Prettl Group reports annual global revenues of some one billion USD, with the Querétaro aerospace plant chipping in with sales of almost one mil-lion USD. This is a great number for a three year old company, moreover, earnings are expected to triple following the signing of some contracts that the com-
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
Elimco-Prettl views Mexico as a gateway to the North and Latin American markets. As for its decision to settle down in Querétaro, several
factors played a part, namely the fact that Prettl has had a presence there for almost forty years.
Mexico’s Partner
pany is about to formalize with two of the main Tier 1 compa-nies in the world
“The figures indicate we will continue to expand. The idea isn’t just to carry on con-solidating and delivering on our promises but to hire more peo-ple in Mexico,” says Navarro.
Prettl employs 2,200 people in Mexico, 99% of whom are of Mexican origin (the remain-der is from other countries like Spain, Germany or the US) and according to Navarro, the com-pany is committed to Mexico for many reasons.
“We want to stay here and we will; in fact, Prettl Group is about to open a new plant in Querétaro, near the airport, in 2015, which would create some 800 jobs. We’d like to expand our aerospace operations to that plant, but we need to go step by step. This is the line Prettl Group intends to follow,” con-cludes Navarro. n
www.elimco-prettl.com
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Mexico’s Partner photos courtesy of carlisle interconnect technologies
CArLisLe inTerConneCT TeCHnoLoGies:An AerosPAce giAnt
the Mexican plant owned by this american manufacturer of high performance aircraft wire and cable, accounts for a sixth of the 650 million USD the company generates every year in revenues.
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
A catalogue of 20,000 products and global sales of 650 million USD a year make Carlisle Inter-connect Technologies a giant on the international aerospace market. A couple of years ago, the company set its sights on Mexico, where it proceeded to
acquire industrial facilities that today account for a sixth of its annual earnings.
In Mexico, the Company has been operating since 1982 under Collectron’s Shelter Plan Program. “We are the largest manufacturer of aircraft wir-
ing in the world. Our aero-space division generates 650 million USD a year,” said Carl-isle Interconnect Technologies President John Berlin in inter-view with Negocios.
“Of this figure, 100 million USD is generated by our plants
in Nogales, Sonora,” adds Ad-olfo Centeno, Director of the company’s Mexican operations.
Carlisle’s origins date back to the first half of the 20th century. Initially, it supplied the US Air Force and with the passing of time, it evolved into the company it is today –a leader in its market niche with manufacturing presence in the US, England, Switzerland, China and, of course, Mexico but sales all over the world.
The decision to begin op-erating in Mexico was based on the strategic advantages the country offers. “Carlisle acquired facilities in Nogales, Sonora. Today, this plant manufactures aircraft wiring for the commercial, aerospace,
Mexico’s Partner
military and communications sectors. Basically, we supply electrical wiring for aircraft flight control, display, sound, voice, lighting and data trans-mission functions,” says Berlin. “Special wiring that can with-stand high and extreme tem-peratures,” adds Centeno.
The quality of its prod-ucts and the thoroughness with which the company oversees every phase of its production processes have qualified it for major indus-try certifications like the ISO 9001:2000 and the AS 9100:2004, among others.
Carlisle Interconnect Tech-nologies employs some 3,300 people worldwide. In Mexico, it has a workforce of 500 people engaged in the manu-facture of 4,500 products from its extensive catalogue for customers like Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Northrop Gruman, Lockheed Martin and Fokker Technologies.
Berlin and Centeno agree that the ready availability of skilled labor in Mexico and the code of ethics it complies with are a plus that the company has had the vision to exploit.
Centeno states that pro-fessionally, Sonora has a large number of universities and technical schools that
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies employs some 3,300 people worldwide. In Mexico, it has a workforce of 500 people engaged in the manufacture of 4,500 products from its extensive catalogue for customers like Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Northrop Gruman, Lockheed Martin and Fokker Technologies.
enable Carlisle to develop employees with a high degree of technical knowledge.
Nogales has a population of 400,000 people and over 35,000 manufacturing employ-ees. It has 110 manufacturing facilities from the Fortune 200, Fortune 500 and privately owned companies. According to local government figures, Sonora has more than 50 aero-space related companies.
Plans for the future in-clude the expansion of the Nogales plant from 9,000 to approximately 17,000 square meters –proportional to the projected increase in output, says Centeno.
According to Berlin, this expansion is merely “phase one” of a five-year plan to double the capacity of its Mexican facilities.
Centeno believes condi-tions for the growth of Mexi-co’s aerospace sector are ripe, especially in Sonora, proof of that being the number of manufacturers that are flock-ing to the region.
“I’m excited to be in Nogales with Carlisle. Busi-ness has been good and the environment has been very favorable. Our future is here,” concludes Berlin. n
www.carlisleit.com
photos courtesy of incertec
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Mexico’s Partner
inCerTeC PUTs iTs FAiTH in sonorA
Incertec, a supplier of secondary processes for the aerospace industry, has approached Sonora with an offer of helping meet demand in its aerospace cluster and consolidate the state’s production chain.
by OMAR MAGAñA
In late 2010, the state of So-nora and its aerospace cluster sent out positive signals to Incertec, an American metal-plating company. Clearly there were business opportu-nities to be had here.
According to Jesús Cer-vantes, manager of Incertec’s plant in Empalme, Sonora, the company’s Minneapolis
headquarters had shown a growing interest in the thriv-ing aerospace industry of this border state in Northwest Mexico. In the end, it was Mohammad who came to the mountain: in 2011 Incertec took a leap of faith with the opening of its plating unit, which currently renders ser-vices to some 40 customers,
Mexico’s Partner
num, electroplating and electro-less, non-destructive testing, nickel, tin, copper and cadmium plating, and titanium etching –the latter nickel and anodizing being the processes in greatest demand at its Empalme plant.
These processes and the non-destructive testing the company performs are Nadcap and AS9100 C certified. It also has four Boeing certifications, in addition to the certifications extended by its customers.
“If you look for another company with the certifica-tions and processes we offer under one roof, I doubt you’ll find it,” says Cervantes.
Although its calling is the aerospace sector, Incertec’s Mexican plant also has cus-tomers in the automotive, electronics and commercial sectors. In the US, where it has been operating for over twenty years, it is a market leader, serving some 600 customers, including medical firms.
Add to these services the smelting and machining pro-cesses available, says Cervantes, and Sonora can claim to be a one-stop shop for manufactur-ers. All they have to do is bring their plans, procure the neces-sary raw materials and they can go back home with their part.
TrusT-bACkEd InvEsTmEnTsSince 2011, Incertec has chan-neled four million usd into its 2,500-square-meter plant in Empalme. Initially, says Cervantes, investing in Sonora required a “leap of faith.” Now all that remains is for the com-pany to expand on a level peg-ging with growth in demand.
In the short time it has been operating in Mexico, In-certec has found an ally in the federal government through initiatives like the Ministry of the Economy’s Program for the Technological Develop-ment of Industry (Prodiat), which provides funding for technical assistance, training,
certification, consulting servic-es, and access to information and new technologies related to high-added-value activities.
By year-end, Incertec will have an additional cadmium and nickel plating lines, and by the second half of 2015 it plans to use available plant space to introduce silver and gold lines, which will require an additional injection of 1.5 million usd. New contracts and more customers will also mean extra shifts and adding to its 32 strong workforce.
Procuring raw material in Mexico hasn’t been a problem,
Although its calling is the aerospace sector, Incertec’s Mexican plant also has customers in the automotive, electronics and commercial sectors. In the US, where it has been operating for over twenty years, it is a market leader, serving some 600 customers, including medical firms.
since Incertec has a strategic alliance with the American chemical giant MacDermid, which also operates in Mexico.
Incertec continues to put its faith in Sonora and has opened the floodgates for others eager
to follow its pioneering ex-ample. “It makes us proud that the reason many have come here is because we’re here,” concludes Cervantes. n
incertec.com
90% of whom are related to the aerospace sector.
“The plant was set up to develop the local market,” says Cervantes. It wasn’t about transferring projects or con-tracts initiated in the US; In-certec came to Mexico to meet the needs of companies pro-ducing this side of the border.
The cost of the kind of secondary processes Incertec offers is relatively low but companies in Sonora, Chi-huahua, and Baja California had to pay more for them –and some still do– because in the absence of a local pro-vider, these had to be carried out in the US.
“Since we’ve been here, our client portfolio has in-creased. One of the reasons some of these companies have opted to set up shop in Sonora is because secondary processes like the ones we offer are now available,” says Cervantes.
Incertec’s portfolio features the Mexican plants of compa-nies like United Technologies Corporation, Williams Inter-national, Radiall, Ducommun, Parker Aerospace, ITT and, ac-cording to Cervantes, the hope is that in the near future other French, American, German, and British companies will be attracted by a region that caters to the entire production chain. “All the processes origi-nal equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need can be found here: machined parts, chemi-cal processes, non-destructive testing, thermal treatments, and paint.”
onE-sToP shoPIncertec’s contribution to So-nora’s production chain –which Cervantes considers fully con-solidated– consists of type I, II and III anodizing, universal pre-treatments for steel, brass, castings, stainless steel, alumi-
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photos courtesy of altaser
ALTAser FLies HiGH a team of just twenty people is behind one of the companies with the brightest futures in Mexico’s aerospace sector. over the next five years, altaser aims to achieve an ambitious annual sales target of 10 million USD.
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
Barely five years have passed since it began operating and already this Mexican company looks set to become a major player in the aerospace sector.
“We started out in a small 900-square-meter building and before the year was out, we had to move to our new facilities, where we have 3,500 square meters with the op-tion to expand to 5,000,” says Altaser Director Arturo Ávila to illustrate how fast the com-pany has grown.
Located in the city of Chihuahua in North Mexico, Altaser has a background in manufacturing. The company is an extension of Grupo
Copachisa, a conglomerate specializing in the manufac-ture of inputs for buildings and industrial facilities. In 2010, the group’s investors decided to diversify and, after conducting a series of studies, opted for the aerospace mar-ket, which was totally alien to them at the time.
A year later, Altaser was incorporated and as soon as it set up shop in 2012 it began producing machined parts. Very early on, it obtained cer-tifications like the AS 9100, a quality management system specific to the aerospace sector.
“We are certified by the US government, which means
we can do business with com-panies like General Electric and Bombardier. Around the same time as we obtained certification, we joined the TechBA business acceleration program, which made a differ-ence practically overnight by helping us focus our efforts on the market niche we wanted to target,” says Ávila.
Altaser’s area of expertise is the manufacture of ma-chined parts for aircraft. These are parts made from very hard metal alloys, like titanium. “The harder the metal, the more precise the part –this is where we are competitive and where the greatest opportuni-ties for the Mexican market lie. We make parts for engines and landing gear. We also manufacture structural parts in hard aluminum,” says Ávila.
Of such a high quality standard are the company’s
manufacturing processes that it had only been operating for three months when Hon-eywell began placing orders for pre-machined parts for its aerospace division and is now a regular customer.
In just two years, Altaser has put together a catalogue of 105 part numbers. Produc-tion volumes vary from five to 350 parts a month, with hubs, shafts and cases topping the list of its most popular products. Approximately 90% of its annual output currently ends up on export markets.
According to Ávila, the company’s rapid growth can be attributed largely to three main factors. The first of these is a project for the forging of ties with educational and technological institutions and the support the company has received from the National Council of Science and Tech-
nology (CONACYT). The second has been the quality of the human resources that have joined the company’s rank and file. And the third has been a business plan geared toward exploiting the market for high-precision machined aircraft parts.
“There are several advan-tages to operating in Mexico, particularly Chihuahua. One of these is that skilled labor is readily available,” says Ávila, adding that another is the state’s geographical location. “We are four hours away from the US border by road. If we have to ship products immediately, we can. We are in a zone where there are a lot of established industries and the foreign-ers who visit us don’t even miss home because we have excellent hotels, airports and services here.”
From its conception, Altaser has thought big. So ambitious is it that it aims to turn over as much as 10 million USD a year in sales in five years’ time. In the short term, another expansion is on the horizon and manufactur-ing contracts for 2015 that will help triple sales have already been secured.
“The National Devel-opment Plan provides for major investment in the sec-tor, which is good news for Mexico’s aerospace industry. Mexico has people with a lot of know-how, skilled workers with over forty years’ expe-rience in aerospace-related sectors. That is what gives us an edge over other regions like Asia and is an advantage we need to capitalize on,” concludes Ávila. n
altaser-aero.com
Of such a high quality standard are the company’s manufacturing processes that it had only been operating for three months when Honeywell began placing orders for pre-machined parts for its aerospace division and is now a regular customer.
Mexico’s Partner Mexico’s Partner
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MAinTenAnCe in A Big WAy
The main hangar at Queré-taro Intercontinental Airport occupied by TechOps’ center of excellence for mainte-nance, repair and operations (MRO) is big enough to fit two Boeing 747s, the largest aircraft assembled to date in the world.
That gives an idea of the scale of the project em-barked on in March 2014 by the heads of the two parent companies, Delta Airlines and Aeroméxico, and the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto.
As a result of its size, tech-nology and service capacity, TechOps México in Queré-taro is already considered the largest of its kind in Latin America. As its CEO, Miguel Ángel Uribe, puts it: “An investment on this scale by Grupo Aeroméxico in alliance with Delta –one of the largest firms in the US and world-wide– is unprecedented.”
Uribe recalls that, in their day, Aeroméxico and the now defunct Mexicana de Avi-ación were pioneers of MRO services in Mexico. TechOps México represents a new stage in the Mexican aeronau-tics sector, with an investment of 55 million USD by Delta
Airlines and Aeroméxico in infrastructure, technology, training programs for techni-cians and the creation of a 100,000 square meter facility.
When operating at maxi-mum capacity –in phase one of the overall project–, Te-chOps México will be able to service up to nine aircraft simultaneously. The plan is that four of these lines will be allocated to the Delta fleet, two to Aeroméxico and the rest made available to third parties.
TechOps México has installed equipment for me-trology processes and non-destructive testing. It has workshops for machining, doors, composite materials, cadmium-plating and alloys, electrical and electronics and painting cells for removable parts of the fuselage, among others. Part of the invest-ment was spent on ensuring the center is environmentally friendly.
“We installed approxi-mately 8% to 10% translu-cent material in the roofs and doors of our hangars, al-lowing more natural light to enter and reducing our con-sumption of electric power,” Uribe points out.
TechOps México in Querétaro also makes use of LED lighting technology and has installed its own racks of solar panels, which not only generate up to one megawatt (MW) of power each year –the largest in the industry–, but also provide shade for the site parking lot. The center of excellence also incorporates a rainwater collection and recy-cling system.
The commitment made at the start of the center’s opera-tions was that by the end of 2014, five of its nine lines of work would be running. Uribe reveals that to date, seven
lines are already active and in 2015 the center will reach its maximum capacity, with nine lines in operation.
AChIEvEmEnTs groundEd In TrAInIngThe decision to establish TechOps México at Queré-taro Intercontinental Airport, to one side of the Querétaro Aerospace Park, is no coin-cidence. Here, Delta Airlines and Aeroméxico have found a strategic ally: the Aeronau-tic University in Querétaro (UNAQ).
“UNAQ’s investment in training programs has been
When operating at maximum capacity –in phase one of the overall project–, TechOps México will be able to service up to nine aircraft simultaneously. The plan is that four of these lines will be allocated to the Delta fleet, two to Aeroméxico and the rest made available to third parties.
strong. We have two priority and very extensive programs; one is Education to Employ-ment (E2E) where students are trained as skilled aviation technicians, starting from zero right up to the develop-ment of hands-on and on the job training (OJT), enhancing their skills and finally formal-izing the process related to the license grants. The other program is the recurrent and continuous training for li-cense renewal,” says Uribe.
Thanks to that partner-ship, more than two hundred technicians are undergoing training on the maintenance
of the Boeing 737s, McDon-nell Douglas models 80 and 90 and EMB 170/190 aircraft the MRO will focus on. “We hope that in a couple of years’ time we will begin to develop capacities with Air-bus, as well,” adds Uribe.
Adding UNAQ-trained technicians to those that joined the firm from Aero-méxico and other Mexican companies, TechOps México can now boast 800 techni-cians in a total workforce of 1,173 employees.
TechOps México has been granted 145 certifica-tions by the US Federal Avia-
tion Administration (FAA) for repair stations and the equivalent from the Mexican Department of Civil Aviation (DGAC).
Uribe says that the new structure will allow Te-chOps México to guarantee improved delivery times to Aeroméxico, Delta and third operators, which to date have made positive remarks about the level of service and cost structure offered by TechOps México.
“It is an alliance that has helped us to strengthen client-supplier communication and, in the most recent review
processes we have under-taken, the quality is unbeat-able while the cost structure is aggressively competitive worldwide,” Uribe confirms.
ThE mIssIng lInk Miguel Ángel Uribe believes that TechOps México is the final link in a virtuous circle in the aerospace industry in Querétaro. The parent companies saw that the state already possessed a suitable airport, centers specializing in airframe manufacture and repair of aircraft parts, the UNAQ technical school and a DGAC center for certifica-tion of aircraft parts. There was just one missing link: a center of excellence for major airframe repair.
“The overriding objec-tive was to fill a gap in the market and in Querétaro, where there was no MRO for airframes, in particular. In line with the vocation of the state, where great work has been done to attract firms of global quality, we have com-pleted the aerospace industry circle,” Uribe concludes. n
www.deltatechops.com
two titans of the commercial aerospace industry have joined forces to develop the largest Mro of its kind in Latin america. they have selected Querétaro on the basis of the state’s established muscle in the sector. the future appears bright.
photo courtesy of techops Mexico’s Partner Mexico’s Partner
by OMAR MAGAñA
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July 2014
photos courtesy of alaxia Mexico’s Partner Mexico’s Partner
ALAxiA,PAssing the leArning cUrve
the Kuo group is determined to become an agent of change within Mexico’s aerospace industry and is putting its money on alaxia.
by OMAR MAGAñA
The expectation is that Alaxia will soon establish itself as a leader in the sector, given that only a handful of companies specialize in the manufacture of sub-assemblies and getting involved in this line of business requires hefty investment in machinery and certification processes, not to mention sweeping changes in an organization’s corporate culture.
Alaxia was one of the Mexi-can companies out in force at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin this May. A subsidiary of KUO, a Mexican group that has been in operation for over forty years, the company is inter-ested in keeping up to date with all aspects of the bur-geoning aerospace industry, a sector it has been engaged in since 2009.
“It was thanks to Raúl Cuevas, our commercial man-ager, that we were able to make contact with customers and there was a lot of interac-tion with Tier 1 and Tier 2 Eu-ropean companies. We brought back some designs, which we’re quoting, and looking at the possibility of doing busi-ness with them,” says Alaxia CEO Héctor Simental.
Alaxia’s plant is in Queré-taro, a state that, according to the National Flight Plan and Route Map drawn up by Pro-México in 2013, has focused on products and processes for the machining of complex components, the manufacture of aerospace structures, en-gine components, brake sys-tems, jet engine MRO, landing gear MRO and manufacture,
technical treatments and the manufacture of components for complex materials.
The manufacture of com-ponents, precision mechani-cal sub-assemblies and light assemblies for customers like Bombardier, EATON and United Technologies Cor-poration is Alaxia’s area of expertise. Each of these com-panies has certified Alaxia in systems like the AS9100, which are not only essential to operate in the sector but also are paving the way for the forging of strategic alli-ances based on trust.
Thanks to these certifica-tions, prospective customers “immediately understand that we’re familiar with the industry, that we know what it’s all about and that we can easily reach an agreement,” says Simental.
The fact that Alaxia was present at the recent exhibi-tion in Germany goes to prove its management is do-ing everything in its power to establish the company as a leader in its particular link of the supply chain, from ana-lyzing the outlook for Queré-taro’s aerospace cluster and strengthening institutional
rized by its customers, mainly in the US and Europe. Most of the required special pro-cesses, like the application of paint and coatings, are also performed by foreign com-panies.
It is special processes like these that Alaxia wants to see moved to Mexico, as their current presence and capa-bilities are limiting the type of work they may receive. The company, says Simental, has gathered information on shops in Chihuahua, Sonora and Querétaro that carry out the secondary processes required. Alaxia has also initiated work with suppliers located directly in Querétaro.
Most of Alaxia’s output is shipped to Bombardier’s facilities in Querétaro and
ties with government and educational bodies to making the necessary investments.
“What is significant here is that people were trained to understand this and fa-miliarize themselves with the industry’s processes and products, so we could render the services needed and gain a certain advantage,” says Simental.
ProMéxico, he says, is an invaluable go-between because it puts a portfolio of prospective international customers at the disposal of companies like Alaxia.
The expectation is that Alaxia will soon establish itself as a leader in the sector, given that only a handful of companies specialize in the manufacture of sub-assem-
blies and getting involved in this line of business requires hefty investment in machin-ery and certification process-es, not to mention sweeping changes in an organization’s corporate culture.
Throughout the remain-der of 2014, Alaxia plans to work on improving its quali-ty processes, the development and delivery of new products, establishing relations with new customers and promot-ing the creation of a national supply chain, particularly in the area of special processes.
suPPlIErs And oThEr lInks In ThE ChAIn The aluminum, titanium and plastics Alaxia requires to manufacture its products come from sources autho-
the plants owned by its other customers in the US, Canada, France and Poland.
As for its ties to other actors in the sector, the company has some highly respected allies, like the Aeronautic University in Querétaro (UNAQ), Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) and several research centers. “We get together at least once every two months to assess our progress on various fronts, especially education,” says Simental.
Alaxia is a member of the Mexican Federation of Aero-space Industries (FEMIA) and Queretaro’s aerospace cluster. As such, it constantly
has its ears pinned to the ground for initiatives that could have a positive impact on the sector.
“As a member of FEMIA, we are familiar with the government’s plans, which span the next ten years and aim to create over 10,000 new jobs in the sector with the setting up of new plants,” concludes Simental, whose
optimism about the future of Querétaro’s aerospace cluster is based on the competitive advantages the state offers, not least the infrastructure created by the cluster itself and the skilled labor that has spilled over from an ever-expanding automotive industry. n
www.kuo.com.mx
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HydrA TeCHnoLoGies,UnMAnned innovAtion
In less than a decade, this Jalisco-based company has set the bar on the international aerospace market with hi-tech creations.
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
Mexico’s aerospace sector would be inconceivable without Hydra Technologies, a company that took the market for un-manned surveillance systems by surprise in 2005 and, less than a decade later, has won several
international accolades for in-novation in that niche.
Hydra Technologies specializes in designing, manufacture and servicing of unmanned aerial surveil-lance systems that employ
state of the art technology. Efficient and accessible, these craft are gradually doing away with the need to import similar vehicles. Likewise, the abundance of skilled labor in Mexico has translated into added value, allowing the company to offer technical support of the highest stan-dard and reduce dependency on outsiders.
The first of its species in Mexico, Hydra Technologies has today more than 15,000 flight hours under its autono-mous wings and its systems have been tested and approved by the country’s security forces.
Ehecátl and Gavilán remain the company’s flagship prod-ucts but it is currently accumu-lating flight hours with a view
to getting its most recent mod-el, the S45 Báalam, certified.
Hydra Technologies has won numerous international awards, including the Al Aube Contributor Award presented by the Washington-based As-sociation of Unmanned Vehi-cles International (AUVSI) and the Mexican Aerospace Indus-try Federation’s Leonardo Da Vinci Award, to name just two.
Operating out of Mexico has been advantageous for a company like Hydra Technol-ogies. Aside from its strategic geographical location, which guarantees easy access to the US market, Mexico has a highly specialized workforce, while the aerospace industry has developed a solid supply chain in recent years.
“We have managed to consolidate Mexico’s aero-space industry and position the country as a developer of its own technologies and solu-tions,” says Hydra Technolo-gies’ Commercial Relations Director Eleana Núñez, who sees nothing but clear skies ahead for the sector.
Aerospace is one of the most rapidly expanding in-dustries worldwide and un-manned surveillance vehicles account for a large slice of the market.
“The market for this tech-nology is expected to grow to approximately ten billion usd by 2018. Although the mili-tary accounted for a substan-tial portion of growth in the past, these units are now used
in a wide range of civilian applications, like the mapping of forest fires and the moni-toring of weather conditions and telecommunications. Ac-cording to several different sources, they could potentially be used in agriculture and for public safety purposes. In the future, 90% of the market for unmanned surveillance ve-hicles will be for applications that aren’t necessarily related to the military,” says Núñez.
To secure a lion’s share of this promising market, Hy-dra Technologies has created synergies with educational and government institutions and works closely with uni-versities and research centers like the Cinvestav research center at the Instituto Politéc-
nico Nacional (IPN, National Polytechnic Institute) and the Larcase avionics research lab at the University of Quebec in Canada.
In conjunction with agen-cies like ProMéxico, Hydra Technologies has represented Mexico at international fairs, including Farnborough in the United Kingdom and Le Bour-get in France.
“Our plans always con-sider growth in applications on the domestic market,” says Núñez of a company that began with just twelve employees and now has over eighty professionals working on a series of added value projects. n
www.hydra-technologies.com
The first of its species in Mexico, Hydra Technologies has today more than 15,000 flight hours under its autonomous wings and its systems have been tested and approved by the country’s security forces.
Mexico’s Partnernegocios ProMéxico | photos courtesy of hydra technologies Mexico’s Partner
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3d roBoTiCs,An AUtoMAtic tAkeoff
by ANTONIO VázqUEz
photos argelia bravo Mexico’s Partner
Launched in late 2010, 3D Robotics manufacturing plant in Mexico took off just at the right moment. What began as a micro, two-person en-terprise is today a company with over 115 employees and industrial facilities spanning 12,000 square feet.
Jordi Muñoz Bardales, a man barely in his thirties, is one of the creative minds be-hind the company, which spe-
cializes in the manufacture of automatic pilots and drones.
“He [Jordi] had the idea of experimenting with electron-ics years ago. He wanted to stabilize small aircraft using low cost video game controller sensors. At middle school, we started out putting together computers, in high-school we shared our knowledge of microcontrollers. Then he designed his first open-source
automatic pilot and made his first sale. All that took place in Jordi’s apartment, which be-came the first store,” says Guill-ermo Romero, general manager of 3D Robotics Mexico.
The launch platform for Jordi’s first project was the DIYdrones.com site, where he sold drone electronics kits. Over time, his product caught the attention of American investors and, in a matter of a year or so, 3D Robotics was born. By 2012, it was register-ing sales of 2 million usd.
“We became a subsidiary. The company received the support of foreign investors, which enabled us to post growth of 100% in 2012 and the same again in 2013. Every-thing we sell via our website is produced at our factory in Tijuana on the border with the US,” says Romero.
In addition to its Tijuana facilities in the border state of Baja California, 3D Robotics has offices in San Diego, Cali-fornia, giving it easy access to international markets.
“Our entire output is ex-ported to the US and from there to the rest of the world. Practically every country in the world has purchased from us. For instance, we know our products have reached islands in the Pacific we didn’t even know existed. Everything is produced in Tijuana,” says Romero.
What exactly is it that 3D Robotics makes and what are the applications of its prod-ucts? The company has two lines: automatic pilots and drone vehicles.
In its autopilot line, 3D Robotics has an extensive product catalogue that ranges from GPS devices, electronic
In less than five years, this Mexican company has positioned itself as a leading international manufacturer of drones.
Mexico’s Partner
compasses and telemetry radios to peripheral compo-nents and automatic pilots themselves, which are control boards installed on unmanned vehicles, both ground and airborne. “Take-off”, “go to this coordinate”, “take photos from this angle”, “map this area”, are some of the instruc-tions that can be given remote-ly using this technology.
The company also manu-factures drone vehicles, which are devices that perform tasks too complex or dangerous for human beings, like monitor-ing unsafe areas, civil protec-tion duties during natural disasters and geographical surveys, to name just a few of their applications.
Unlike other companies in its field, 3D Robotics was not hatched by a business incuba-tor but evolved from an inno-vative growth strategy geared toward offering its customers –which include NASA– technol-ogy of the highest standard.
According to Romero, projects like 3D Robotics can prosper only when the right conditions are met. In Mexico, it has been easy to find those conditions. For one, the country’s geographical location has made it possible to connect its Tijuana factory with its sales office in San Di-ego almost in real time, while Mexico has the human tal-ent, the skilled professionals needed to steer its exponential growth in the right direction.
“3D Robotics offers the most competitive prices. We are the lowest cost option on the market and offer high quality devices. We don’t compete with Chinese manu-facturers, there will always be clones, but we win because we are based in innovation. We design new technology and high quality electronics at a competitive cost. The open-hardware model behind our products makes competition
“Our entire output is exported to the US and from there to the rest of the world. Practically every country in the world has purchased from us.” says Romero.
to be very strong, that’s why we are constantly learning and designing the best product for the industry,” says Romero.
In the future, Romero envisages a world in which drones will be used for every-thing by everyone. A scenario in which 3D Robotics plans to be present.
“We will have several kinds of drones for different business, environments and uses. This customized drone market will be ours for the taking because our manufacturing philosophy is lean operations, specialized craftsmanship, high flexibility and rapid product changes,” concludes Romero. n
3drobotics.com
infographic oldemarNegocios ProMéxico |
56 July 2014
Figures
The Lifestyle
The CompleTe Guide To The mexiCan Way of life
**Source: ProMéxico.
A GLOBAL LEADER
*According to estimates from the "Strategic Program of the Aerospace Industry 2010-2020,"coordinated by the Ministry of Economy (SE)-
Mexico´s aerospace industry has recorded
17.2% annual growth in the last nine years.
There are 287 companies and support entities in the country,
most of which are NADCAP and AS9100 certified.
Aerospace industry is located mainly in five states and it
employs more than 32,600 high level professionals.
From
Mexic
o to th
e skie
s
(Mexico’s aero
space industry
exports b
y year, mill
ion
)**
‘04
1,306
‘05
1,684
‘06
2,042
‘07
2,728
‘08
3,082
‘09
2,522
‘10
3,266
‘11
4,337
‘12
5,040
‘13
5,463
By 2013, exports from the Mexican aerospace
industry reached a value
of 5.4 billion . .
The sector is expected to
export 12.26 billion in 2020, with a 14% average
annual growth rate.*
Mexico has been training aviation technicians
and engineers since 1937. Today, 21 education institutions offer 52 aerospace related
education programs.
The Lifestyle Briefs
Agustín Hernández:Gravity-defying Emotions
Querétaro for Foodies
Titanic Brought a Wave of Gifted People to the Surface
Modern Mexico Embraces its Colonial Legacy
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MEXICAnS VERSEd In THE GLAMOROUS TASk OF MAkInG US
LAUGH And CRy
it didn’t take long for mexican talent to transcend borders and conquer hollywood, proving that good cinema isn’t a question of nationality, but of sense and sensibility.
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The Lifestyle Briefs
Mexican flautist and composer Alejandro Escuer was the unani-mous winner of an Independent Music Award in the Best Contem-porary Classical Music Album category.
The album, Alejandro Escuer Flying: Música para flauta y electrónica, produced in 2012 by Cero Records and the Mexican Center for Music and the Sound Arts, features tracks by Escuer and composers like Rodrigo Sigal (Mexico), Matthew Adkins (Eng-land), Gabriela Ortiz (Mexico) and Michael Matthews (Canada), among others.
Produced by Music Resource Group, every year the Indepen-dent Music Awards program receives hundreds of submissions from musicians from all over the world.
The aim of the program is to promote and honor talent that contributes to the progress of music, based on content, innovation and impact, with winners being chosen by 40 judges from the in-ternational film and television scene and music critics like Ann and Nancy Wilson, Suzanne Vega, Arturo Sandoval and Laurie Ander-son.
Other awards Escuer has won include the 2010-2013 Career Scenic Creators Award, the Rockefeller Foundation Award, the Ful-bright-García Robles Scholarship and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Arts Award and Scholarship.
www.independentmusicawards.com
MUSIC
Mexican FlautistWins Indie Award
Made in Mexico. The Rebozo in Art, Culture and Fashion features a total of 75 traditional Mexican shawls, or rebozos, from private and state owned collections. Hosting the exhibition is London’s Fashion and Textile Museum, which, incidentally, was designed by the Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.
The face of the exhibition is the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), who made the rebozo famous in the 20th Century, although some of the shawls on loan date from as far back as the 18th Century.
In London, 92-year-old Lady Irene (Everts) Lojan, daughter of the Belgian diplomat Robert Everts (1875-1942), was able to admire the collection her father started in the 20th Century, in-cluding the 18 rebozos her family donated to the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City several years ago.
Traditional and modern, made of silk and cotton, the rebozos on exhibit include four belonging to the Legorreta family, three owned by the Mexican-American singer songwriter Lila Downs and a giant nine-meter-long rebozo called “aroma of mourning”, which forms part of an installation by the artist Mauricio Cervantes.
ftmlondon.org
FOLK ART
London Wraps Up in Mexican Shawls
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Mexico’s cultural representations around the world will shortly be renamed Octavio Paz insti-tutes after this acclaimed Mexican author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990.
The proposal, put forward by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), will apply to representations in the US (Miami, San Antonio, Washington, Los Angeles and New York), Costa Rica (San José) and Spain (Madrid).
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Octavio Paz and the decision to rename these in-stitutions is part of an SRE policy to take Mexi-can art on an international tour.
Preference will be given to artists with proj-ects of a high standard and that transmit social messages congruent with the cultural policies of the host countries. For example, artists like Bet-sabeé Romero will be designing a contemporary Day of the Dead altar for Denmark.
www.sre.gob.mx
ART
Mexican Art to Travel the World
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Four Mexican projects from different parts of the country received awards at the 9th Latin American Architecture and Urbanism Bien-nial (BIAU) and another 26 Latin American projects were selected.
The “House of Ideas” library, the San Pablo Academic and Cultural Center, the Alfonso Reyes residential building and La Tallera Siqueiros art studio all took home accolades.
Located in Tijuana, Baja California, the “House of Ideas” library by CROStudio is built along a canal that crosses the Camino Verde district and has an innovative design spread over platforms that open up onto interior and exterior landscapes. In Oaxaca, Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha made aesthetic and structural modifications to the San Pablo Academic and Cul-tural Center, a group of colonial buildings owned by the Alfredo Harp-Helú Foundation.Meanwhile, at La Tallera Siqueiros in Cu-ernavaca, Morelos, a team spearheaded by the architect Frida Es-cobedo opened up the courtyard of the artist’s studio and rotated a series of murals so they could be seen from an adjacent square. Last, but by no means least, Gabriela Etchegaray and Jorge Am-brosi were presented with an award for the design of the Alfonso Reyes residential building in the Condesa district of Mexico City.
An initiative of the Spanish government in collaboration with various Latin American institutions, BIAU has consolidated itself as a window onto the future of architecture and urbanism.
www.bienalesdearquitectura.es
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Mexican Art to Travel the World
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The Lifestyle | Negocios ProMéxico
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AgUSTín HeRnández:Gravity-defyinG emotions
Some consider Agustín Hernández a Ro-mantic, a poet of architecture. He consid-ers himself neither: just an architect but definitely not a builder.
Born in Mexico City in 1924, Hernán-dez grew up surrounded by materials, plans and buildings. He would accompany his mother to construction sites and listen to tradesmen talk about bricks, cement, spaces, lines and curves. Curious to know how they worked, he would take apart and
Challenging and emotive. These are two words that could be used to describe the work of Agustín Hernández Navarro, a Mexican architect who has called on science to create gravity defying buildings that evoke Mexico’s
Pre-Colombian roots.
by antonio vázquez
rebuild all things mechanical and electri-cal but it wasn’t long before he realized his calling was to build monumental things that could be admired for their beauty and perfection.
Studying Architecture at the Na-tional Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) allowed him to do just that. The faculty molded his rebellious spirit into a forthright character even before he left its classrooms. He even had the audacity to
send his thesis –a project for a cultural cen-ter deemed bold, original and innovative by the experts– to the artist Diego Rivera, who had nothing but praise for it.
Paradoxically, by breaking with the architecture of his day, Hernández has rescued the symbols, identity, culture, traditions and history of Pre-Colombian Mexico. The salvaging of this ancestral knowledge has gone hand in hand with a conscientious choice of materials.
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It was a leap back to the past that her-alded a vision of a Mexico of the future in each of the magnificent buildings that personify the architect’s aesthetic.
Yet Hernández has never identified with one particular school of architecture, not even the one he himself created. “I’ve never claimed to have a defined style, nei-ther in architecture nor sculpture. It would be too easy. Now that there are so many construction materials and techniques to choose from, I’m more interested in ex-perimenting. Following a style would bore me,” he said in interview in 2002.
Architect of projects like House in the Air (1991) and the Calakmul Corporate Center (1994), it was the Military Col-lege that posed his greatest challenge –and brought him the greatest gratification. Based on Monte Albán, the ceremonial center of the Zapotec civilization in Oaxa-ca, the building was applauded by the mili-tary authorities of the day as a “historic feat”.
In 1970, he defied the laws of gravity and geometry with his own studio. Built in a woodland area of the Bosques de las Lomas district of Mexico City, the building towers more than 40 meters in the air.
“This studio has everything I’ve ever looked for in architecture: in it, structure, form and function come together as one,” says Hernández, who has won awards for his work in his native Mexico, Argentina and Bulgaria. Nph
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It didn’t take long for Mexican talent to transcend borders and conquer Hollywood, proving that good cinema isn’t a question of nationality, but
of sense and sensibility.
by laura santos
MexICAnS VeRSed In THe gLAMOROUS TASK
of makinG Us LaUGh and Cry
We’ve seen them fall in and out of love. They’ve moved us to tears and laughter, on screen and from behind the scenes. Since the birth of the film industry, Mexico has contributed to the classics of world cinema.
One of the first Latin actresses to make it in the big industry was the diva Dolores del Río, who, in the 1920s, was the female version of Rodolfo Valentino, the “Latin Lover” of the silent movies. Del Río appeared in several of Holly-wood’s early talkies and is said to have had a sordid affair with the actor and director Orson Welles.
Another Mexican, the comedian Ma-rio Moreno, more popularly known as “Cantinflas”, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1956, he joined the cast
of the Michael Anderson film Around The World in Eighty Days, based on the epony-mous Julio Verne novel. In it, he played the part of Passepartout, which he demanded be adapted to his Latin traits. “Cantinflas” also shared credits with the big stars of the period like Shirley MacLaine, Marlene Diet-rich, Buster Keaton and Frank Sinatra. Even Charles Chaplin praised the work of the so-called “Mime of Mexico” and is quoted as saying he was the best comedian alive.
But gone are the days when Mexicans were limited to playing Latin parts. Today they are so versatile they can take on any role and have even started creating a cel-luloid history of their own. These are just some of the names that are floating on Hollywood’s firmament of celebrity actors and filmmakers.
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alfonso cuarón In An OscAr UnderArm
Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico City, 1961) is the filmmaker of the moment. In 2014, he won an Oscar for Best Director with the feature film Gravity, making him the first Mexican director –and one of only a hand-ful of Latin American directors– to receive such recognition.
Gravity was but the culmination of a solid career: Cuarón had already been nominated for an Oscar in 2006 for Children of Men and in 2002 for Y tu mamá también. He started out directing independent films in Mexico; his inter-national career kicked off in 1995 with
A Little Princess, based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel.
His big-budget movies include Har-ry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment of the popular children’s story that is packed with ref-erences to the director’s Mexican child-hood, like the sugar-coated skulls on sale at the Honeydukes store in Hogsmeade that are typically eaten on the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
Alfonso’s son, Jonás, and his brother, Carlos, are also writers and directors and have co-written some of his films.
elpidia carrillo In An Unexpected destiny
Parácuaro, a town in Michoacán in Cen-tral Mexico, is known as the “Villa of Springs”. It was here that Elpidia Carrillo (1961) was born. She left home at the ten-der age of ten to make a living, but surely never imagined she would become a fa-mous Hollywood actress.
It all began one day when she was walking down the street and received a strange invitation: to appear in a film. So it was that at 13 she began her acting career in the Rafael Corkidi film Pafnucio santo.
The course of her life changed from that moment on. Elpidia continued work-ing in the movies and took up dance, un-til she had another stroke of luck –which actually had more to do with her talent– and was invited to appear in the Tony Richardson film The Border with Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel.
Her performance opened the door to Hollywood productions and she landed her first lead, starring alongside Richard Gere and Michael Caine in John Macken-zie’s The Honorary Consul, based on the eponymous Graham Greene novel.
Perhaps her best-known role, though, is as the survivor, Anna, in Predator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. ph
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The women of Guadalajara are said to have the most beautiful eyes in all of Mex-ico. That can be debated, but there can be no denying Patricia Riggen (1970) has an eye for producing beautiful films.
Riggen began her career writing docu-mentaries for television in her native Gua-dalajara. She later moved to Mexico City and in 1998 went to New York to study a Master’s in Directing and Screenwriting at the University of Columbia. Her first short film, La milpa, was screened at over 30 film festivals and received 20 awards.
Oftentimes the work of cinematogra-phers is overshadowed by big-name di-rectors, but Emmanuel Lubezki (Mexico City, 1964), alias “El Chivo” (The Goat), has managed to shoot his way out of ob-scurity and into the light.
Lubezki has worked dolly-to-dolly with acclaimed directors who have well-defined aesthetics: Tim Burton, the Coen brothers, Alfonso Cuarón and Terrence Malick.
In his case, six was a charm and after five nominations, in 2014 he finally took home an Oscar for Best Photography with Gravity.
“The Goat” started out doing photog-raphy for independent films in Mexico, which he combined with shooting com-mercials, allowing him to familiarize him-self with equipment he probably wouldn’t have come into contact with otherwise.
His breakthrough came with A Little Princess (1995), which earned him his first Oscar nomination. Here, Lubezki re-vealed his gift for capturing the essence of a story with a photography that oscillates between fantasy and reality.
A photographer with a signature all his own, Lubezki demonstrated his gift for lighting once again in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow (1999), with shadowy sets that lend the film an aura of make-believe and mystery.
Under the Same Moon, her first fea-ture-length film, deals with families divid-ed by emigration and debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation.
She also directed the musical Lemon-ade Mouth for Disney Channel. Its first two television screenings were watched by over 12 million viewers.
Her most recent project is Girl in Progress and stars Eva Mendes, with Es-pinoza Paz playing the part of a Mexican folk musician.
patricia riGGen In A WOmAn’s GAze
eMManuel lubezkiIn the GOlden GOAt
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In 1991, a young actress with bushy eyebrows made her debut in the Mexi-can soap Muchachitas. Her name was Kate del Castillo (Mexico City, 1972). Twenty-two years later, in 2013, People magazine was to name her one of the “25 Most Powerful Latinas”.
In 2002, del Castillo went to the US to study. That same year she starred in the series American Family and became a household name in that country. In 2005 she made her incursion into Holly-wood with Juan Carlos Valdivia’s Ameri-can Visa, where she shared the limelight with the Oscar-nominated Mexican actor Demián Bichir.
Salma Hayek (1966) once confessed amid fits of laughter that she is typically referred to as an Italian-style beauty in the US. “You can tell they haven’t been to Vera-cruz,” was the response of the actress with Lebanese roots who was born in the port town of Coatzacoalcos in South Mexico.
Hayek made her debut in a soap called Teresa that has virtually achieved cult sta-tus. In 1991, she began appearing in Hol-lywood productions, but only really got the attention she deserved in 2002, when she played Frida Kahlo in Frida, a film that she also produced and that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. An ac-complishment only two latin women, be-sides Hayek, have achieved: Katy Jurado in 1954 and Adriana Barraza in 2006.
As a producer, Hayek is also known for Ugly Betty, a sitcom based on a Colom-bian screenplay that has traveled the world and whose first three seasons were a hit in the US.
A paragon of beauty and sophisti-cation, Salma’s name means “peace” or “calm” in Arabic.
kate del castilloIn THe CHarM and THe VoICe
One of the voices of the Disney film Cars (2006), del Castillo has shared the big screen with the likes of Antonio Banderas, Jennifer López, Kevin Kline and Alec Bald-win, among other famous actors.
Together with Eugenio Derbez, she played the lead in Patricia Riggen’s film, Under the Same Moon, but is arguably best known for La reina del Sur (2011), a series based on the eponymous book by the Spanish author Arturo Pérez Reverte. The series was broadcast during prime-time by the American network Telemun-do and was seen by millions of viewers in 86 countries and translated into 17 languages.
salMa hayekIn THe WoMan of THe PorT
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QUeRéTARO for foodies
Arid on the surface, if you look closer, the semi desert is teeming with life, staining the tree tops crimson and sealing the important moments with the clinking of a wine glass and a toast to good health. Cheers!
We are in Quéretaro, a central Mexican state with regions where the days are hot and the nights are cold, allowing the grapes to ripen without losing their acidity. Here, grapevines grow alongside aromatic Peruvian peppertrees, whose seeds are known as pink pepper.
El Marqués, Tequisquiapan, Ezequiel Montes, Colón and San Juan del Río are the municipalities of Querétaro where the pace of
The wines produced in the central Mexican state of Querétaro have earned international recognition and are gradually winning over connoisseurs in other parts of the world.
life is punctuated by wine and cheese. Here it doesn’t matter so much if you don’t make it on time, as long as you arrive with a good appe-tite and leave with a pleasant aftertaste linger-ing on your palate.
Of all the “New World” wines, Querétaro’s have perhaps made the greatest impression be-yond our borders, with Freixenet and La Re-donda forming part of the Mexican delegation at Drink Outside the Box, an event held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on March 4, 2014 at the Talleyrand Hotel, which belongs to the Ameri-can embassy, in Paris, France.
by laura santos
Freixenet is one of the largest vineyards in the region. Housed in a rambling old Mexican hacienda with high ceilings, its most interesting feature has to be its cellars, an impressive 25 meters below ground level. If you’re in any way curious, they’re open to the general public.
Freixenet’s star product is its sparkling wine, produced using the traditional or cham-penoise method, which consists of a second fermentation in the bottle. This winery also does a commendable job promoting wine cul-ture by giving courses and organizing compe-titions. It has an annual calendar of activities but the date everyone circles in the calendar is the grape harvest in August.
In Tequisquiapan you’ll find La Redonda, a boutique winery that produces three labels: Re-donda, a collection of young whites, rosés, reds and sparkling wines, Orlandi, whose tannins are intensified by the American oak barrels they are matured in, and premium Sierra Gorda. These are aged wines that are best married with roasts of large game and strong cheeses.
Close to Freixenet, in Ezequiel Montes, is Viñedos Azteca, a winery that has taken it upon itself to propagate Mexican traditions, not just winegrowing but Mexican horseman-ship too. Their wines are made the traditional way under the watchful eye of enologists José Antonio Llaquet and Jesús Cardoso. Pretexto is their most successful label, a coupage boast-ing a harmonious blend of red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Malbec.
Where to buy
FreixenetCarretera San Juan del Río - Cadereyta, Km 40.5, Ezequiel Montes, Querétaro, Mexico www.freixenetmexico.com.mx
Viñedos La RedondaCarretera San Juan del Río - Ezequiel Montes, Km 33.5Querétaro, Mexicowww.laredonda.com.mx
Viñedos AztecaCarretera San Juan del Río - Cadereyta, Km 40.4Querétaro, Mexicowww.vinedosazteca.com
Viñedos Los RosalesCarretera San Juan del Río - Ezequiel Montes, Km 27Querétaro, Mexicomisioneschapelet.com
This region also likes to keep up with the lat-est trends. For example, in 2011, Los Rosales in Tequisquiapan introduced Misiones Chapelet, a project for the production of quality organic red wines. Every aspect of the process is scrupu-lously overseen, producing wines that bring out the characteristics of their signature Tintorera grape, known for its strong, enduring notes.
The best way to learn about Querétaro’s wines is to join a tour of the Wine and Cheese Route. We guarantee you’ll be an expert by the end and will be able to testify to the fact that Mexican hospitality isn’t just a myth. N
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photos courtesy of luisa gómez de silva
TITAnIC BroUGht a Wave of Gifted PeoPLe
to the sUrfaCe
Luisa Gómez de Silva has always been a fan of romantic comedies, but she never imagined she’d get to make them in real life. Her career in film began like a script for a short film that transformed into a cult feature: one minute she was behind her desk at a local newspaper in her native Baja California and the next she was on the production team of one of the largest box-office busters of all time: Titanic.
After that, there was no turning back. This busy producer now has twenty or so films and about the same number of television series and commercials under her lifebelt, as well as three documenta-ries and three short films.
One of those talents was Luisa Gómez de Silva. An invitation to work on the James Cameron film revealed the makings of a great producer.
Luisa’s schedule is so packed she barely has time to spend with her family, but she finds her work so satisfying that she has started her own production company, Baja Estudios, which is currently working on a television series for Latin America, a drama and two romantic comedy ideas for audi-ences in the US and Mexico.
—How did you come into contact with the world of film?I was about to graduate from univer-sity and was working for a newspaper. I needed time to finish my thesis, so I asked for a leave of absence, but when I was informed the job was 24/7, I had to
resign. I needed work and a friend told me they were looking for people on Ti-tanic [which was filmed in Baja Califor-nia]. I didn’t want to be an extra, but I was told I might be able to do something else due to my experience in other areas. So I sent in my résumé one weekend and the next Tuesday I had an interview that lasted three hours. Today, 19 years later, I’m still working in the movies.
—What was your first job on Titanic?I started out as an assistant in the art coor-dination area. Then the Australian woman in charge had to resign and I took over as coordinator for the final stretch of the film.
by patricia peña
—It was a big leap from a local newspaper to a mega international production…I didn’t realize the magnitude. The art co-ordinator resigned in December and I had to see the film through to the final cut. It was like studying a whole new professional career, especially in terms of the handling of language, vocabulary and logistics. I was 22 and learned everything from basic skills, like folding napkins and hanging drapes, to making stained glass and per-forming administrative tasks.
—After Titanic, how did the other big pro-ductions arrive on your doorstep?Due to Titanic and the film’s success, the things I learned and the contacts I made while working on it. I got to know big ce-lebrities who looked me up later. Tomor-row Never Dies wanted to do a second unit and the producer took me along as an administrative supervisor. From there, I started acting as a liaison between the studio in Baja California and the produc-tions that wanted to come to Mexico, like Tomorrow Never Dies, Pearl Harbor and Commando. I left when my first baby was born and started rendering production ser-vices on a freelance basis. The same people I had worked with would ask me for in-
formation, not just on locations in Baja California, but in Tijuana and San Diego.
—The movies are fantastic, but it’s a cut-throat world. Do you know what it was they saw in you to make them come back for more?I’m from a state in Mexico where everyone is bicultural and hard working. On Titanic I was eager to learn and would raise my hand to help out no matter what the job. Century Fox called me to work in Los Angeles and it was like going back to school. At the end of the day, it’s what I still do. The “Titanic Generation”, as we call ourselves, were tal-ented people with a lot of enthusiasm, who had a vague notion of filmmaking, small things, but that went on to do big things.
—Which do you prefer, large productions or independent ones?Both. I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve gotten to work with acclaimed directors on large productions, with the people at Walt Disney and Walden Media, and the Mexi-can director Alejandro González Iñárritu on Babel. Those were all big projects with a special dynamic: there were no budget con-cerns. Well, there are now. No one’s exempt (chuckles), but back then there weren’t.
The difference with the independent productions I’ve worked on in Mexico and other projects in Latin America and Europe is not knowing if the financing will come through, although you have more freedom. In cases like that, I find a way to get the film made.
Every film, from the biggest production to the smallest, wants to tell a story and it’s the passion of the teamwork that goes into it that makes a film.
I’ve learned a lot from both. I worked on Little Boy, which had a budget of 27 million Usd and All is Lost by Robert Red-ford, which was made with 10 million. Af-ter that came two films that cost 2.5 and 3 million Usd, respectively. Filmmaking is becoming standardized in the sense that we’re all seeking to make more efficient use of resources. The economic situation is complicated for us all, but anyone with a good story and a small team can go far. It’s all about who has the best story and the most original way of telling it.
—Old school or hi-tech?I’ve used both formats. It all depends on the photographer and the budget. Until not so long ago, digital was more expen-sive, but technology has become more simplified. As a producer I’d go with digi-tal because you can shoot and shoot and shoot and it’s cheaper, but nothing beats 35-millimeter quality.
—Are television productions worthwhile?Platforms like Netflix are spawning new projects. We’re witnessing the emergence of viewers who want a different kind of televi-sion. Movie folk are starting to sit up and take notice of certain Spanish-language se-ries and foreigners are starting to turn their gaze to Mexico. There are web series being broadcast on a range of platforms. It seems that’s where the future lies.
—You sound very excited.You have to be a bit loony to be in this line of work. It takes a lot of persistence. I was in journalism and I thought I liked it, but I wouldn’t go back. I’ve discovered my niche. My job has more to do with numbers. It might not be that creative, but it implies a lot of work. It means missing birthdays, graduations, Mother’s Days. You miss out on a lot, but my kids understand and it feels great to be able to share my success with them and do what I love doing. N
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MOdeRn MexICO eMbRACeS its CoLoniaL LeGaCy
Six cities, six stories… Mérida, Morelia, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Puebla and Zacatecas were all founded and built dur-ing the colonial period. Today, these are modern cities that have embraced their bicultural legacy.
The fortified walls that once protected Mérida from pirate attacks now invite visitors to enjoy the city’s fantastic night life. Meanwhile, Morelia has consolidated
by antonio vázquez
Negocios brings you six cities whose beautiful colonial architecture serves as a scenic backdrop to the bustling, cosmopolitan lifestyle of modern day Mexico.
The city of Mérida, in the Yucatán Pen-insula of Southeast Mexico, combines colonial, renaissance-style architecture with a modern lifestyle and a taste of the ancient Maya civilization.
Museums, boutiques, art galleries and restaurants are housed in stately limestone buildings, surrounded by walls that have protected the city since it was founded in 1542.
The architectural gems of the so-called “White City” include Casa de Montejo, Pa-lacio Cantón (now home to the Regional Anthropology Museum) and the cathedral.
Every year between February and March, the streets of Mérida come to life with an eight day carnival featuring events like the Battle of the Flowers, where the merrymak-ers literally throw flowers at each other.
For a traditional dish, we recommend the cochinita pibil (spiced, marinated pork) at Hacienda Taya, an old 17th Century hacienda that has been convert-ed into an exclusive hotel.
And if it’s night life you’re after, Cielo Lounge Bar, Amarantus and Mambo Café
are some of the city’s trendiest spots. Nearby are the Tzabnah Caves, where you can see amazing natural rock forma-tions and 13 cenotes. There are also plen-ty of places to practice extreme sports and enjoy the enormous diversity of flora and fauna in this region of Mexico.
Méridaan anCIenT CITy WITH a ConTeMPorary aTTITude
itself as an art and film destination and Puebla has become famous for its restau-rants that break with tradition. The chilly air of San Cristóbal is quickly dissipated at any of the city’s boutique hotels and the labyrinthine streets of Guanajuato host international festivals year in, year out. Finally, we come to Zacatecas, whose history can be summed up in a piece of fine silver jewelry.
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Pink quarry stone buildings, cobblestone streets and architecture with an unmistak-able French influence. That is Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, a state in West Mex-ico originally inhabited by the Purépecha.
Founded in the 15th Century, this cultural city offers visitors an enviable choice of museums, restaurants, galleries and arts and crafts stores.
Morelia’s Historic Center has been declared a World Heritage Site and it’s not hard to see why when you stand in the presence of breathtaking baroque
pueblafood for THe soul
The legend goes that prior to the found-ing of Puebla in 1531, the Bishop of Tlaxcala, Julián Garcés, is said to have had a dream in which angels told him where to lay the first stone.
Located in Central Mexico, this city conceived by angels is famous for its cui-sine, baroque architecture and handicrafts. The home of the Serdán brothers –impor-tant figures in the Mexican Revolution of 1910– and the churches of San Francisco and El Rosario are just a few of the his-toric buildings that line its cobblestone streets, confirming its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But it’s not just cultures that commune in Puebla. Past and present come together in its downtown area, where the ancient
san cristóbal de las casasCHIlly HosPITalITy
The bracing mountain air of San Cristóbal de las Casas makes you want to explore its picturesque streets, stopping only for a piping hot cup of coffee.
One of the first cities built by the Span-ish in America, the influence of indigenous groups can be discerned in its baroque ar-chitecture, which only serves to add to its aura of mysticism.
The churches of Santo Domingo, San Nicolás and El Carmen, La Merced Convent and the Amber Museum are all must-sees on any visitor’s agenda. And after a long day sightseeing, we recom-mend you rest up at one of the city’s bou-tique hotels, like Hotel Bo, Casa de los Arcángeles or Casa Morada.
Cold cuts, corn and cocoa based bever-ages and traditional candies with hot choc-olate are the mainstays of the local gastron-omy, complemented by a variety of Italian, French and Argentine classics to cater to the European tourists who flock to this colonial city in the highlands of Chiapas.
buildings like the former Capuchin Con-vent, the Museum of Colonial Art and the Church of San Francisco.
The seventh art has found a fitting call-ing card in this city in the form of the Mo-relia International Film Festival, which has gone from strength to strength since 2003.
For a night on the town, try the Skina Bar or Zitio, where strutting your stuff on the dance floor is mandatory. Or if you’re more sports inclined, Zirahuén Lake is great for mountain biking and for die-hard golfers, there’s the Zacapú Country Club.
Morelia PInk quarry sTone and CelluloId
Church of San Francisco rubs shoulders with the Convention Center, whose color-ful gardens set the scene for modern de-signer boutiques, restaurants and cafés.
Puebla prides itself on its cuisine, es-pecially its mole, a thick sauce made with chili, chocolate and many other ingredi-ents. The best place to sample it is at Fonda de Santa Clara, which has been serving it up for more than half a century.
Another source of pride is the city’s Talavera pottery tradition. Easily identi-fiable by its characteristic blue and white motifs, collections of these unique pieces handcrafted exclusively in Puebla have been shown at the Metropolitan Muse-um of Art in New York and the Philadel-phia Museum of Art.
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ZACATECASa mine of hisTory
One of the most beautiful streets in all of Mexico is Avenue Hidalgo in Zacatecas. As you make your way from Plaza de Ar-mas, you’ll pass the churches of Santo Do-mingo and San Agustín, the Pedro Coronel Museum and the Juárez Garden before fi-nally arriving at the cathedral, chiseled out of pink quarry stone.
These well preserved baroque church-es and buildings dating from the days of Porfirio Díaz era have earned Zacatecas UNESCO World Heritage Site status, but it’s unlikely they would even exist were it not for the wealth generated by the re-gion’s mining tradition.
A popular tourist attraction, but defi-nitely not one for the faint hearted, is El Edén, an old mine in Bufa Mountain that churned out silver for almost four centuries. A train takes you 340 meters down into the bowels of the earth, to the very core of the city’s foundations. If you want a souvenir of your trip, nothing
GUAnAJUATOa rebel To be reCkoned WiTh
Guanajuato takes its visitors by the hand and leads them through a labyrinth of tunnels, passageways and steep streets on an encounter with art, culture, archi-tecture and history.
Mexico wouldn’t be the nation it is today were it not for Guanajuato. Less than an hour away is Dolores Hidalgo, the town where a group of rebels planned an uprising that was to set the 1810 indepen-dence movement in motion. The Granary, the Juárez Theater and the University of Guanajuato were all built during the co-lonial era and lived their days of glory in a newly independent nation.
Famous for its International Cervan-tine Festival, Guanajuato also hosts ba-roque, jazz and blues music festivals.
After visiting the sights and museums and sampling the night life, the best way to wind down is in one of the city’s small, exclusive hotels, like Hotel Boutique 1850, Edelmira, Quinta Las Acacias, Ho-tel Alonso 10, and Hotel México Plaza, all of which have extensive menus star-ring the best of regional cuisine.
could be more representative of Zacate-cas than a piece of fine silver jewelry. There are some 50 silversmith shops to choose from but we recommend Casa de las Artesanías de Zacatecas or Cen-tro Platero de Zacatecas, where you can purchase unique signature pieces.
photos archive Negocios ProMéxico
PaRa EXPORTaDOREs
EL DIáLOgO EMPREsaRIaL MéXICO-EsTaDOs UNIDOs:
EncuEntros Para iMPulsar la coMPEtitividad
OPORTUNIDaDEs EN CHINa:un EnfoquE dE intEligEncia coMErcial
Para los PaísEs dE la alianza dEl Pacífico
Entre 2009 y 2013 China se consolidó como el segundo importador de bienes en el mundo, solo detrás de Estados Unidos. Para 2013 las compras de mercancías de este país representaron 11% del total mundial. Por otro lado, en términos de dinamismo, China se colocó en tercer lugar (detrás de Bolivia y Perú), tomando en cuenta que sus
importaciones crecieron 18% en promedio anual durante el periodo 2009-2013, cuando en el mundo el crecimiento fue de 10%.
FILIPINasrEnuEva sus lazos
coMErcialEs con México
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aDMINIsTRaCIóN DE Las IDEas:consEjos Para
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y la coMPEtitividad EMPrEsarial
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deproméxico.
Para México es fundamen-tal impulsar los vínculos de cooperación y comercio con nuevos mercados y concre-tar una verdadera diversifi-
cación comercial. Aunado a ello, la atrac-ción de inversiones productivas, así como la internacionalización de operaciones de empresas mexicanas son tareas muy im-portantes dentro de la política de desarro-llo económico del país.
En esta edición compartimos una re-flexión sobre las oportunidades comercia-les que ofrece China para Chile, Colom-bia, México y Perú, países partícipes en la Alianza del Pacífico, que deben profun-dizar su relación con este mercado. Me-diante un modelo de inteligencia comer-cial elaborado por ProMéxico, se explica cuál es la relevancia de estos países con-siderando la complementariedad de sus productos y servicios, sobre todo para identificar con claridad cuál es la oferta exportable común, además de los casos de eslabonamiento productivo.
También se incluye un análisis sobre la relación entre México y Filipinas, en el que se enfatiza la relevancia de este país como puerta de acceso a mercados
asiáticos. Filipinas se ha convertido en un destino sumamente competitivo para las inversiones de empresas mexicanas que deseen internacionalizar sus operaciones hacia ese país con el propósito de expan-dir su negocio en la región.
Aunado a ello, se incluye una intere-sante reflexión sobre los nuevos esquemas de certificación en comercio exterior del país, los cuales están destinados a fomen-tar las buenas prácticas y procesos en ma-teria aduanal con el firme propósito de facilitar el comercio e impulsar la compe-titividad de las empresas.
Además de estos ensayos, se incluye una reflexión sobre la relevancia del diá-logo empresarial de alto nivel existente entre México y Estados Unidos, mecanis-mo creado para impulsar la competitivi-dad en la región e incidir en el diseño de políticas públicas en materia económica y de negocios. Por último, publicamos un breve análisis sobre la administración de las ideas, modelo en el que diversas em-presas y organizaciones se apoyan para conseguir equilibrio y entregar resultados consistentes.
Esperamos que los contenidos inclui-dos en esta edición sean de su interés.
¡Bienvenidos a Negocios ProMéxico!
BrEVEs
Siemens invirtió 30 millones de pesos en la ampliación de la capacidad instalada del taller de turbomaquinaria de su planta en Querétaro, a fin de atender la creciente demanda de insumos para la industria del gas, petróleo y generación eléctrica a nivel nacional.
La planta de servicio a turbomaquinaria ubicada en Balvanera inició operaciones en 2006 con una superficie operativa de 2,600 metros cuadrados, tras esta inversión, incrementará su espacio a 4,000 metros cuadrados.www.siemens.com
Grupo Real Turismo invertirá 1,500 mi-llones de pesos en nuevos hoteles en 2014. El Grupo abrirá hoteles este año en Villa-hermosa, Cancún y Guadalajara. Para 2015 espera abrir dos más, uno en Mon-terrey y otro en la Ciudad de México.
www.gruporealturismo.com
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ELÉCTRONICA
grUPo rEal tUrismo sE ExPaNdE
TURISMO
aBrE maNitoWoc EN moNtErrEY
MANUFACTURA
Con una inversión de 140 millones de dó-lares, la empresa chilena Masisa comenzó la ampliación de su planta en Durango que se convertirá en la planta de tableros de madera más grande y moderna de Mé-xico. Esta ampliación generará alrededor de 4,000 nuevos empleos.
La nueva planta permitirá crear centros de acopio en zonas marginadas y con pobreza de la sierra de Durango, por lo que será posible incluir como proveedores de Masisa a microindus-triales de la región.
www.masisa.com
Con una inversión de 40 millones de dóla-res, Manitowoc FoodService inauguró una planta de producción de equipos de cocina industriales en Monterrey, Nuevo León.
La empresa emplea a 110 personas en su nueva planta. Se instaló en el Parque Industrial Finsa, en el municipio de Gua-dalupe, a donde trasladó desde Wisconsin, Estados Unidos, su línea de producción de máquinas de hielos, con el fin de atender de manera más eficiente a su mercado en América Latina.
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El diálogo EmPrEsarial méxico-Estados UNidos:EncuEntros para impulsar la compEtitividad
Por inicativa de organismos empresariales de México y Estados Unidos, empresarios de ambos países cuentan con un espacio para el diálogo y el intercambio de experiencias, con miras a impulsar la competitividad de América del Norte e incidir en el diseño de las políticas públicas en materia económica y de negocios en la región.
La primera reunión del Diálogo Empre-sarial México-Estados Unidos se realizó los días 10 y 11 de diciembre de 2013 en la Ciudad de México, en seguimien-to al Diálogo Económico de Alto Nivel (DEAN) establecido por los presidentes Enrique Peña Nieto y Barack Obama a inicios de 2013. La segunda reunión de este tipo se celebró los días 8 y 9 de ju-nio de 2014 en Washington, DC.
Estos encuentros de trabajo entre em-presarios –promovidos en paralelo por la Cámara de Comercio de los Estados Uni-dos y el Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) de México–, reúnen al sector priva-do de ambos países. Las recomendaciones que surgen de estas reuniones de trabajo fortalecen la relación bilateral en ámbitos de comercio e inversión. Sus esfuerzos se enfocan en áreas que permitirán impulsar la competitividad de América del Norte, in-cluyendo la colaboración coordinada para facilitar el comercio en la frontera, así como la integración regional, entre otros temas.
En el último encuentro se analizó la relevancia del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) como un mecanismo clave que logró consolidar a la región como la zona comercial más com-petitiva del orbe. Se hizo hincapié en los beneficios del libre comercio y en las múlti-ples oportunidades para acceder a nuevos mercados internacionales.
En este contexto, los esfuerzos guberna-mentales binacionales han sido un elemen-to crucial. Aunado a esto, el activismo de diversas organizaciones en conjunto con la colaboración permanente del sector priva-do de ambos países, han ayudado a revitali-zar el nexo entre México y Estados Unidos.
Las recientes reformas estructurales emprendidas por la administración del pre-sidente Enrique Peña Nieto –así como su im-portancia en la consecución de los objetivos
por jUAN CARLOS gUTIÉRREz
planteados en materia de competitividad y desarrollo– fueron un componente central en este intercambio de ideas. En este sentido, se coincidió en que las reformas incidirán en el crecimiento y desarrollo económico del país, al contribuir directamente en el bienes-tar de las familias mexicanas.
Estas reformas han colocado a México en una perspectiva más positiva y cercana con la existente no solo en Estados Uni-dos, sino también en Canadá. El embaja-dor mexicano en Washington, Eduardo Medina Mora, comentó que había “un enorme interés sobre las reformas que tie-ne México ahora, que van dirigidas a bajar los costos de transacción y las barreras de entrada. Esto coloca a México en una pers-pectiva muy diferente, mucho más a la par de sus socios y, en consecuencia, el espacio económico compartido puede verse con enorme optimismo”.
Las perspectivas son muy alentadoras. Tal como lo señaló hace varios meses el embajador de Estados Unidos en México, Anthony Wayne: “La relación México-Estados Unidos es intensa. Nuestros países se han integrado profundamente, México es actualmente el segundo mercado de ex-portación y el tercer socio comercial de Estados Unidos […] tenemos una fuerte alianza económica, pero sigue existiendo un potencial sin explotar”.
El diálogo y la concertación de primer nivel serán, sin duda, elementos que poten-ciarán la relación entre México y Estados Unidos, y ampliarán la visión del empresa-riado de ambos países, con el propósito de concretar nuevos proyectos e impulsar la prosperidad en la región.
Se contempla realizar una próxima reunión en México durante el mes de di-ciembre de 2014. N
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Con una inversión inicial de 9.5 millo-nes de dólares, la empresa de extrusión de aluminio Alyex Aluminium, inició operaciones en el municipio El Marqués, en Querétaro.
Actualmente la empresa emplea a 48 personas, pero en los próximos 14 meses se tiene programada una inversión adi-cional de 5 millones de dólares para pro-yectos de expansión y el incremento de su plantilla laboral a 75 plazas.
La empresa se dedica a la fabricación de perfiles industriales como tubos, placas y otros especiales, para alrededor de 14 clien-tes de los sectores automotriz y eléctrico.
www.alyex.mx
Robert Bosch Mexico invertirá 460 mi-llones de dólares de 2014 a 2107, para ampliar la operación de sus plantas en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, y Toluca, Estado de México, donde fabrica ductos para las principales armadoras de autos que operan en el país.
Bosch ya firmó contratos con las nue-vas plantas de Nissan, Honda y Mazda ubicadas en el Bajío, tanto para proveerles equipo de seguridad para las instalaciones de las fábricas, como la proveeduría de algunos componentes automotrices.
www.bosch.com
Finsa, la desarrolladora de parques indus-triales, invertirá 200 millones de dólares en 2014. La mitad de esa inversión se destinará al desarrollo de infraestructura y el resto a la construcción de edificios para venta o renta.
www.finsa.net
LOgÍSTICA
Bosch PlaNEa sEgUir crEciENdo
AUTOMOTRIz
FiNsa iNViErtE EN NUEVos dEsarrollos
grUPo PrEsidENtE sE rENUEVa
Durante 2014 y 2015, Grupo Presidente invertirá un total de 50 millones de dó-lares en la remodelación total y parcial de sus unidades ubicadas en la Ciudad de México, Cancún, Guadalajara y Los Cabos.
A la par, continuará con su proyecto de convertirse en una compañía operado-ra de hoteles multimarca, propiedad de terceros inversionistas. En 2014 espera-concretar un total de cinco unidades.
grupopresidente.com.mx
TURISMO
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los EsqUEmas dE cErtiFicacióN EN comErcio ExtErior
y la compEtitividad EmprEsarial
Los programas de certificación que se han instrumentado en el país fomentan las buenas prácticas y procesos en materia aduanal. Su objetivo central es muy representativo, sobre todo para facilitar el comercio e impulsar
la competitividad de las empresas.
Las funciones de la aduana moderna no se limitan a controlar, revisar y fiscalizar (fí-sica y documentalmente) el acceso o salida de mercancías en el país. La Administra-ción General de Aduanas (AGA) también tiene otras funciones relacionadas con la seguridad nacional. La AGA es la auto-ridad responsable de vigilar la puerta de entrada de mercancías al país, en coordi-nación con dependencias y órganos de los tres niveles de gobierno que están involu-crados en esta tarea.
México ha asumido múltiples compro-misos suscritos con la comunidad inter-nacional. Ha implementado mecanismos
por FÉLIx pONCE-NAvA CORTÉS*
Para obtener la certificación bajo el esquema NEEc las empresas deberán cumplir con determinados requisitos para comprobar el cumplimiento de las disposiciones en materia fiscal, aduanera y de seguridad.
para fortalecer la seguridad de la cadena logística del comercio exterior a través del otorgamiento de beneficios a las empresas que cumplan con estándares internaciona-les en seguridad. Uno de esos mecanismos es el Nuevo Esquema de Empresas Certi-ficadas (NEEC), programa de certificación tutelado por el Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), cuyo objetivo radica en la identificación de empresas confiables a partir de su cumplimiento fiscal, aduane-ro y también en seguridad. Mediante este programa las empresas podrán recibir be-neficios para la importación y exportación de mercancías. Esto incluye las facilidades
y prontitud en los procedimientos de des-pacho ante las aduanas del país, elevando su competitividad.
Para obtener la certificación bajo el esquema NEEC las empresas deberán cumplir con determinados requisitos para comprobar el cumplimiento de las dispo-siciones en materia fiscal, aduanera y de seguridad. El procedimiento de certifica-ción requiere un trabajo exhaustivo en el que deben prepararse los perfiles y la do-cumentación adicional requerida. Una vez presentada la solicitud, la autoridad tiene un plazo de 180 días naturales para emitir la respuesta correspondiente.
Adicionalmente, en diciembre de 2013 las leyes de Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA) y de Impuesto Especial sobre Pro-ducción y Servicios (IEPS) tuvieron mo-dificaciones importantes que establecen la obligación de pago de contribuciones a partir del primero de enero de 2015. Con el propósito de disminuir el efecto de esos gastos, el gobierno federal creó la certifi-caciones en IVA y en el IEPS mediante las cuales las empresas que están al corrien-te en el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones fiscales y aduaneras pueden obtener una certificación (bajo las modalidades A, AA y AAA), a efecto de aplicar un crédito fiscal consistente en una cantidad equivalente al 100% del IVA y del IEPS por la importa-ción de mercancías sujetas a los siguientes regímenes aduaneros:• Importacióntemporalparaelaboración• Transformaciónoreparaciónenprogra-
mas de maquila o de exportación • Depósitofiscalparasometersealproceso
de ensamble y fabricación de vehículos• Elaboración, transformación o repara-
ción en recinto fiscalizado y de recinto fiscalizado estratégico
La solicitud de certificación en materia de IVA e IEPS podrá presentarse durante 2014 de acuerdo con las fechas establecidas en el calendario publicado. Para lo anterior se de-berá considerar la circunscripción de la Admi-nistración Regional de Auditoria de Comer-cio Exterior (ARACE) en la que se encuentre su domicilio fiscal.
En caso de no haber presentado la soli-citud en el periodo correspondiente al domi-cilio fiscal, es posible presentar la solicitud en otros periodos. Sin embargo, cambiaría el cómputo del plazo para emitir la resolución.
El procedimiento y opciones para la ob-tención de las certificaciones en comercio ex-terior puede tener variantes dependiendo de las características de cada organización, por lo que es fundamental analizar la situación jurídica y administrativa de cada empresa, y considerar la posibilidad de obtención de las certificaciones mencionadas, pues los benefi-cios que traen consigo inciden significativa-mente en la competitividad y carga adminis-trativa de la empresa. N
*Asociado de Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C.
(www.basham.com.mx).
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Los procesos también constituyen un componente importante en este sistema, dado que conforman el conjunto de herra-mientas de una organización para entregar resultados consistentes.
Lo más valioso de este modelo es que la gente se convierte en el eje de actuación de la empresa u organización. El capital humano es un componente clave para im-plementar el cambio, para equilibrarlo. En suma, los colaboradores –junto con cada uno de los líderes en una organización– se convierten en artífices de la solución.
CaraCterístiCas de una implementaCión exitosa No es un secreto que el proceso de cambio puede ser complicado e incluso traumá-tico. Sin embargo, utilizando un enfoque apropiado, el cambio debe interpretarse como una oportunidad para el desarrollo de los colaboradores de una empresa u organización. Para concretar los cambios debe considerarse lo siguiente:1. Contar con el apoyo al más alto nivel.
Los cambios sustantivos requieren que la alta dirección esté de acuerdo con las propuestas presentadas.
2. Involucrar activamente a la gente que será impactada por el cambio. Esto implica que su punto de vista debe ser tomado en cuenta para distintos niveles de planteamientos: desde la verbaliza-ción de las oportunidades o debilidades, hasta la configuración de propuestas.
3. Identificar el campo de fuerza alrede-dor del cambio. En cualquier esfuerzo de esta naturaleza existe un campo de fuerza restrictiva y otro tendiente al impulso. Para propiciar el cambio de-ben fortalecerse las fuerzas promotoras del impulso.
4. Pensar en grande. Es importante tener en mente el fin, establecer la gran vi-sión de hasta dónde se quiere llegar. Esto dará rumbo a los colaboradores y los ayudará a visualizar mejor el mun-do al final del camino, lo que puede representar una fuente inagotable de motivación para el equipo.
5. Moderar el esfuerzo de cambio. Es im-portante acotar los esfuerzos de imple-mentación, de manera que siempre se esté actuando en un nivel de alto im-pacto y baja complejidad. Esto asegu-ra la entrega de resultados utilizables para la organización, minimizando los impactos de desviaciones y riesgos. Además al tener implementaciones de
la estrategia de una organización debe considerar las propuestas e ideas con el propósito de permearlas para alinear el rumbo de una organización. la relevancia de ciertos procesos, reglas de negocio y roles son de gran utilidad para el líder de la organización.
Negocios ProMéxico | Para Exportadores
Esto en el papel suena muy fácil, pero si consideramos que las organizaciones son sistemas abiertos, complejos y diná-micos, la realización de este propósito es mucho más complicada. ¿De qué medios se sirven estos aurigas corporativos?
administraCión de las ideas: un modelo Centrado en la genteSe dice todo el tiempo y se lee frecuente-mente que el capital humano es el activo más valioso de una organización. Esto es cierto solo si las organizaciones tienen mecanismos diseñados para aprovechar al máximo el talento de sus colaboradores.
El centro del modelo de administra-ción de las ideas está conformado por un subsistema de ideas que radica en cada
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admiNistracióN dE las idEas:
consEjos para implEmEntacionEs Exitosas
El modelo denominado Administración de las ideas ha servido para apoyar a varias empresas u organizaciones para que consigan cierto equilibrio y estén en posibilidades de entregar
resultados consistentes.
Vivimos tiempos de aceleración extrema en prácticamente todos los ámbitos: la tecnología, la política, la educación y la comunicación. Las organizaciones, sus di-rectivos e incluso los dueños de pequeñas y medianas empresas luchan por que sus or-ganizaciones sobrevivan y trasciendan más allá de la visión original de sus fundadores, con el propósito de asegurar la continui-dad de sus operaciones.
Los líderes tienen un enfoque dirigi-do a optimizar el desempeño, eficiencia y resultados de sus respectivas organiza-ciones. No solo son guías que encausan cómo debe desenvolverse una organiza-ción y su equipo de colaboradores, tam-bién instrumentan estrategias y entregan resultados consistentes.
persona o integrante del equipo. Si la organización tiene mecanismos apropia-dos, esas ideas pueden explotarse y po-nerse a su servicio.
La estrategia de una organización debe considerar las propuestas e ideas con el propósito de permearlas para ali-near el rumbo de una organización. La relevancia de ciertos procesos, reglas de negocio y roles son de gran utilidad para el líder de la organización.
Los proyectos son el conjunto de he-rramientas que tienen los líderes de nego-cio para concretar su estrategia. Los pro-yectos contribuyen a mantener el foco en la ejecución de la estrategia, es decir, en los procesos que contribuyen a materializar la visión estratégica de la organización.
por jORgE vALdÉS g. pMp*
baja complejidad se genera una inercia positiva hacia el proceso de cambio.
En suma, el Modelo de administra-ción de las ideas es un modelo aspiracio-nal destinado a balancear el desempeño de una organización. Su propósito es que las organizaciones o empresas estén orientadas a generar resultados consis-tentes, sustentables y repetibles. Para po-der instrumentarlo, deben considerarse cuatro factores: 1. Entorno: Representa la influencia del
entorno externo a la organización.2. Gobierno: Relacionado con la toma de
decisiones, la estructura organizacional, las políticas, reglas de negocio y estilos de supervisión, entre otras cosas.
3. Tecnología: Enfatiza la importancia de las tecnologías de la información, las metodologías de trabajo, maqui-naria, procesos, formulas y todos los
elementos necesarios para entregar resultados.
4. Capital humano: Las habilidades, las competencias específicas, el talento y conocimiento, así como la motivación y expectativas de desarrollo son cruciales.
Al momento de iniciar cualquier cam-bio, además de tomar en cuenta cada una de estas recomendaciones, deben consi-derarse los cuatro factores previos. Una vez revisado este tema, ¿considera que su empresa está equilibrada? ¿Valdría la pena buscar este equilibrio? N
*Director General, TenStep Latinoamérica
(www.tenstep.mx). Es Licenciado en Admi-
nistración, certificado en PMP y Lean Pro-
cess. Conferencista en foros de negocios.
Ha trabajado en proyectos para GNP, Met-
life, Grupo Invex, Grupo Televisa, Grupo San
Pablo, entre otras.
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tado a sí misma como una importante puer-ta de entrada para las inversiones mexica-nas en la región Asia-Pacífico. Alrededor de dos tercios de las inversiones totales de México en la región están ubicadas en Fi-lipinas. Entre las empresas mexicanas que han invertido en Filipinas están Coca Cola FEMSA y Cementos Mexicanos (CEMEX); actualmente otras firmas mexicanas –como Imbera y KidZania– están considerando in-cidir en el mercado filipino.
Las empresas mexicanas que deseen expandirse en la región Asia-Pacífico pue-den encontrar oportunidades únicas en Filipinas. El país es un destino ideal para la inversión, debido a su ubicación estra-tégica como puerta de entrada al Sureste Asiático. En su entorno cercano se encuen-tran países como China, India, Vietnam, Corea del Sur, Tailandia e Indonesia, lo que convierte a este país en un centro lo-gístico estratégico para participar en esos mercados. Cuando el mercado común de la Asociación de Naciones del Asia Sudo-riental (ASEAN) entre en funcionamiento en 2015, las empresas mexicanas podrán acceder a través de Filipinas a un mercado de 600 millones de personas.
Filipinas también ofrece una vasta planta laboral muy capacitada que ha-bla inglés y es culturalmente adaptable con los requerimientos de las empresas de clase mundial. Esto hace del país un lugar atractivo para las industrias de manufactura, electrónica, maquila y ex-ternalización de servicios. A pesar de ser altamente calificada, la fuerza laboral del país sigue siendo rentable en términos de salario. Esta ventaja demográfica y de ha-bilidades ha permitido a Filipinas un des-empaño superior en la subcontratación de procesos de negocios (BPO por sus siglas
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FiliPiNasrEnuEva sus lazos comErcialEs con méxico
Su ubicación estratégica, afinidad cultural con México, su mano de obra calificada y economía dinámica, hacen de Filipinas un destino atractivo para las
inversiones de empresas mexicanas.
Una de las mayores preocupaciones para cualquier persona que realiza negocios en otro país es la adaptación cultural. Esto no es un problema para los inversionistas mexicanos que buscan un aliado para rea-lizar sus negocios en Asia. Filipinas –país que se precia de ser una de las naciones más amigables de Asia– tiene múltiples similitu-des culturales con América Latina, debido a su herencia colonial española. Los mexica-nos se sienten como en casa cuando están con los filipinos debido a las semejanzas de ambos países, forjadas durante siglos.
A pesar de que Filipinas y México es-tablecieron relaciones bilaterales formales en 1953, las culturas filipina y mexicana se reunieron por primera vez hace casi 450 años –en 1565– durante la expedición de Manuel López de Legazpi, quien zarpó hacia Filipinas –desde Barra de Navidad, Jalisco– con un grupo de soldados mexica-nos indígenas tlaxcaltecas.
Durante los siguientes 250 años (de 1565 a 1815) Filipinas fue gobernada por los españoles a través del Virreinato de la Nueva España. Los antecedentes del actual comercio interoceánico se establecieron en-tre los puertos de Manila y Acapulco a tra-vés de la llamada Nao de China –conocida también como el galeón comercial Manila.
Los galeones traían de Manila las ri-quezas de Asia a México, mientras que de Acapulco no sólo llevaban plata y oro del Nuevo Mundo, también dejaron una huella duradera en el idioma, la cultura, las tra-diciones, la religión y la flora y fauna, así como en el estilo de vida de los filipinos.
Hoy, años después de que los últimos galeones navegaron entre Manila y Acapul-co, Filipinas y México están reactivando su comercio bilateral. Debido a su ubicación geográfica, la nación filipina se ha reinven-
las empresas mexicanas que deseen expandirse en la región asia-Pacífico pueden encontrar oportunidades únicas en Filipinas. El país es un destino ideal para la inversión, debido a su ubicación estratégica como puerta de entrada al sureste asiático.
en inglés), una industria que desde 2006 ha crecido 46% cada año. Metro Mani-la obtuvo el segundo lugar entre los cien principales destinos de externalización en 2014, de acuerdo con el ranking publi-cado recientemente por la consultora de inversiones Tholons.
De igual forma, Filipinas cuenta con una de las economías de más rápido cre-cimiento en el mundo contemporáneo. En 2013, la economía de Filipinas tuvo un cre-cimiento de 7.2% –el segundo más rápido en la región después de China–, a pesar de los desastres naturales producidos por el terremoto de Bohol y el Tifón Haiyan en la zona central de Filipinas. Este país ha
registrado un crecimiento ininterrumpido durante 34 trimestres consecutivos en los últimos nueve años –los dos últimos a rit-mo récord: 6.8% en 2012 y 7.2% en 2013.
Las predicciones para el futuro son aún más brillantes. Goldman Sachs prevé que la economía de Filipinas –con 416,000 millo-nes de dólares y que en la actualidad es la cuadragésima más grande del mundo– se convertirá en la décima cuarta economía más grande del mundo para 2050.
Por su parte, entidades financieras como HSBC (The Hong Kong and Shanghai Ban-king Corporation) estima que para 2050 Filipinas se convertirá en la 16ª economía más grande del mundo, la quinta mayor
economía de Asia y la mayor economía en la región del sureste asiático.
Las empresas mexicanas que buscan extenderse a la región Asia-Pacífico no ne-cesitan buscar más. Filipinas siempre ha estado ahí para México. Sus lazos econó-micos y culturales se han enriquecido. El excelente desempeño de Filipinas registra-do en los últimos años es una reminiscencia del pasado basado en el próspero comer-cio de galeones. Hoy en día ofrece nuevas oportunidades para aquellas empresas que buscan concretar negocios en Oriente. N
*Exconsejero Económico, Embajada de
Filipinas en México.
por jASON jOvENCIO A. ANASARIAS*
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China es un país con múltiples oportunidades comerciales. Tie-ne casi 20% de los habitantes del planeta. A pesar de que esta proporción disminuirá gradualmente en las próximas décadas, la población de China comenzará a declinar a partir de 2030 en términos absolutos. La demanda de productos y servicios en este país se respalda por su clase media –estimada en 157 millones de personas–, la cual es mucho más grande y consolidada que la de países como Estados Unidos. Para 2020 se proyecta que dicho estrato sume los 500 millones de habitantes, consolidán-dose como el mercado más importante del mundo. Es pertinen-te destacar que China ya superó a los Estados Unidos como el consumidor más representativo en el orbe en teléfonos celulares, automóviles y computadoras personales.
Según cifras de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), para 2016 las economías industrializadas representarán solo 25% del crecimiento mundial total. China –junto con los países en desarrollo en Asia– aportará casi 55% del crecimiento económico mundial.
Los países pertenecientes a la Alianza del Pacífico (AP) tie-nen como uno de sus objetivos centrales aumentar sus relaciones económicas y comerciales entre sí, pero con un énfasis particular con los países de dicha región.
China tiene un papel representativoA pesar de que este país realizó importaciones provenientes de 229 países durante 2013, solo en los primeros diez países pro-veedores se concentró 60% de sus compras totales. Solo seis fue-ron regionales (representaron 41.6% del total) y cuatro fueron países fuera del continente (17.9% del total): Estados Unidos, Alemania, Suiza y Brasil.
En 2013, 27.8% de las importaciones chinas fue de produc-tos primarios (destacan el petróleo, minerales de hierro y cobre).
oPortUNidadEs EN chiNa:un EnfoquE dE intEligEncia comErcial
para los paísEs dE la alianza dEl pacífico
Entre 2009 y 2013 China se consolidó como el segundo importador de bienes en el mundo, solo detrás de Estados Unidos. Para 2013, las compras de mercancías de este país representaron 11% del total mundial.
Por otro lado, en términos de dinamismo, China se colocó en tercer lugar (detrás de Bolivia y Perú), tomando en cuenta que sus importaciones crecieron 18% en promedio anual durante el periodo 2009-2013,
cuando en el mundo el crecimiento fue de 10%.
por OSCAR LEóN ISLAS* y jOSÉ EdUARdO MÉNdEz**
El número de empresas y productos exportados debe incrementarse, no solo de productos primarios, sino de manufacturas con mayor valor agregado. Para ello es necesario identificar cuáles son las áreas de oportunidad con este país así como conocer cuál es el grado de complementariedad comercial de los países de la aP con china.
El 72.2% restante correspondió a manufacturas (maquinaria y componentes para aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos).
En este contexto, la participación de América Latina y el Cari-be ha crecido. En 2013 esta región representó 6% de sus exporta-ciones y 6.5% de sus importaciones. La relación comercial es cada vez más importante, aunque aún se sitúa en un nivel bajo.
Los países de América Latina y el Caribe exportan a Chi-na la mitad del número de productos que exportan a Estados Unidos, aunque siguen estando dominadas por productos pri-marios principalmente. Pese a la notable apertura del mercado chino desde su ingreso a la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC) –el 11 de diciembre de 2001–, China mantiene altas cuo-tas arancelarias en sectores que son de interés para los exporta-dores en América Latina y el Caribe.
Por ejemplo, China mantiene aranceles medios aplicados su-periores al 10% ad valorem en todos los subsectores agrícolas y agroindustriales, así como en los productos pesqueros y cárni-cos. En productos de confitería, bebidas y tabaco, los aranceles varían entre 20% y 25% ad valorem. En cambio, los menores niveles de protección arancelaria media en China se encuentran en los sectores minero, forestal, químico y de hidrocarburos. És-tos –junto con el de las oleaginosas– representan el grueso de las exportaciones de América Latina y el Caribe a ese país.
inteligenCia ComerCial para promover las exportaCiones de la ap en ChinaSe estima que en el periodo 2014-2017, el mundo crecerá a un ritmo promedio anual de 3.4%, mientras que Asia lo hará en 4.7%. Según estimaciones de Global Insight, China –a pesar de haber moderado su ritmo de crecimiento– crecerá a 7.5% anual. También se pronostica en materia de importaciones que las compras mundiales crecerán entre 2014-2017 a un ritmo promedio anual de 5.2%. Asia tendrá el mayor dinamismo en
las importaciones, las cuales crecerían a una tasa promedio anual cercana a 6.4%, pero China destacaría con un ritmo de 8.8% en promedio anual.
Este escenario muestra que Asia –con China en particular– ten-drá un gran dinamismo. Este país es un socio comercial estratégico en América Latina y su vínculo comercial no debe seguirse minimi-zando. Países como Chile, Colombia, Perú y México –partícipes en la AP– no deben hacer a un lado las enormes oportunidades que representa este mercado. En algunos casos esta relación ya se ha potencializado. China es el primer mercado para las exportaciones chilenas. Es el segundo destino exportador de Colombia y Perú. Para México, China representó durante 2013 el tercer destino de sus exportaciones no petroleras (1.7%), después de Estados Unidos (79.7% del total) y Canadá (2.9%).
Es importante enfatizar que desde 2012 se han llevado a cabo múltiples actividades de promoción comercial, de inversión y turismo por parte de cada una de las agencias y/o entidades de promoción de los países pertenecientes a la AP. En términos de promover las exportaciones de sus respectivos países, el esfuerzo deberá concentrarse en aumentar su cuota de mercado a China (2.5% del total de las importaciones que realizó Chinas durante 2013). En otras palabras, el número de empresas y productos exportados debe incrementarse, no solo de productos primarios, sino de manufacturas con mayor valor agregado. Para ello es
necesario identificar cuáles son las áreas de oportunidad con este país así como conocer cuál es el grado de complementariedad comercial de los países de la AP con China.
ProMéxico tiene un modelo de inteligencia comercial que detecta las áreas de oportunidad e identifica cuál es la comple-mentariedad de la oferta exportable de los países de la AP con los productos que China requiere importar. En el caso de Méxi-co, este análisis estadístico identifica dichas oportunidades por medio de cruces de oferta y demanda (productos a seis dígitos del sistema armonizado) en dos vertientes:
Negocios ProMéxico |
96 Marzo – Abril 2014
Para Exportadores
1. Identificación de productos que se exportan al país de interés para concretar una estrategia que aumente la participación de mercado en el corto plazo.
2. Identificación de productos con nuevas oportunidades. Se re-fiere a los productos que compra el país de interés, pudiendo hacerlo de México (o de cualquier otro país de la AP) si se tiene la oferta exportable. Esta estrategia implica un trabajo de mediano plazo. Además de lo anterior, este análisis debe ser robusto. Las
oportunidades detectadas tienen que ser estables en el tiempo, por lo que también se utilizan criterios que funcionan como fil-tros de temporalidad. Las opciones anteriores se complementan con factores como: • AnálisisdelarancelcobradoaMéxico• Identificacióndelospaísesproveedorescompetidoresactua-
les, así como el arancel cobrado• Identificación de fracciones con beneficio arancelario para
México• Identificacióndelaofertaexportablecalificadaparadichas
fracciones con oportunidad• Análisisderestriccionesnoarancelariasquepudieranaplicar• Informacióndecontactoconelmercado(importadores,dis-
tribuidores y canales de distribución)En ese sentido, ProMéxico hizo el ejercicio para cruzar las
oportunidades de exportación de los cuatro países de la AP con China. Aunado a lo anterior, ProMéxico y sus contrapartes en Chile, Colombia y Perú han organizado encuentros empresaria-les y de negocios para apuntalar su comercio.
COnCLUSIOnESDe acuerdo con análisis de la CEPAL, uno de los factores que li-mitan los flujos comerciales y de inversión entre los países de Asia y América Latina es su baja relación comercial intraindustrial. Según Osvaldo Rosales y Mikio Kuwayama –en su libro China y América Latina y El Caribe. Hacia una relación económica y co-mercial estratégica (2012)– deben redoblarse esfuerzos para que los países de la región se integren a las cadenas de valor y sumi-nistro de Asia. En este sentido proponen establecer asociaciones comerciales y de inversión, además de impulsar acuerdos comer-ciales que sirvan para integrarse a las cadenas de producción y exportación de empresas multinacionales en las que China tiene un papel fundamental como origen y como destino.
Las agencias o entidades de promoción de los países de la AP es-tán identificando casos de eslabonamiento productivo. La clave más importante de la integración comercial radica en que la AP permite la acumulación de origen entre los países miembros, de tal forma que los productos a manufacturar dentro del bloque se reconocen como si estuviesen hechos o manufacturados en un solo país. En este sentido, un producto que se elabore en Colombia con materia prima de Chile, puede ingresar libremente a Perú o a México, e incluso ac-ceder en otros países o mercados con los que se tengan acuerdos en el marco de la AP, tal es el caso de Corea del Sur, China o Japón. N
*Director de análisis de oportunidades comerciales, Unidad de
Inteligencia de Negocios, ProMéxico.
**Analista de oportunidades de negocios, Unidad de Inteligencia de
Negocios, ProMéxico.
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