Naturgy México Drives Innovation in Construction with AI through "Conecta 2024"

Naturgy México, one of the country’s leading energy groups, is promoting the use of Industry 4.0 technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the construction of residential and industrial parks through its forum, "Conecta 2024." This initiative showcases how AI is becoming an essential tool for Mexican developers, enabling them to make better decisions based on data analysis and to create a variety of predictive scenarios.

At the event, held in Monterrey, Nuevo León, residential and industrial developers were shown how AI offers a competitive advantage in construction, which is closely tied to the supply of essential services for both industrial and residential sectors in Mexico. The ability of AI to improve decision-making processes and streamline operations was highlighted as a key benefit.

“There are various geopolitical factors that have facilitated the relocation of companies from around the world to our country. Conecta 2024, with the participation of industrial, service infrastructure, and residential developers, demonstrates how we can coexist and build alliances to address challenges. Naturgy is a key enabler in this regard, with a strong commitment to supporting industries,” said Alejandro Peón, CEO of Naturgy México.

Naturgy is currently financing several projects in collaboration with the Institute of Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), exploring innovative solutions such as the use of a “metaverse” to monitor and supervise industrial parks and residential projects in real time. This technology utilizes virtual reality (VR) goggles to inspect entire systems, including gas supply valve operations, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.

This innovation also allows for predictive maintenance and the ability to shut off valves in the event of risks such as earthquakes or ruptures. According to Peón, such solutions create a unique vision for addressing the challenges posed by the nearshoring trend that Mexico is experiencing, providing timely responses to investment opportunities and development needs.

The forum also addressed other critical issues, such as streamlining the governmental permitting process, obtaining licenses, decarbonizing operations by 2030, and promoting construction projects with high concentrations of services to enhance urban mobility and well-being. These topics were discussed in depth across multiple panels at Conecta 2024.

“These panels have provided us with a clearer understanding of the specific challenges we face, especially in the northern region, where energy and logistics infrastructure is already in place and facing increased demand due to nearshoring. This requires coordinated efforts to keep up with growth. At Naturgy México, we are expanding access to transportation systems, regulation stations, pipelines, and key distribution channels to meet current and future demand,” Peón concluded.

The event featured prominent speakers including Claudia Esteves, General Director of the Mexican Association of Industrial Parks (AMPIP); Fermín Rodríguez, General Director at Genera Softlanding; Gerardo Bocard, CFO of Argo Industrial Group; Mauricio Garza, General Director of Interpuerto Monterrey; Melesio Izquierdo, Project Director at Terra Regia; Ulises Treviño, General Director of Bioconstrucción y Energía Alternativa; José Mahbub, CEO of Grupo Empresarial 3M; and César Cortez, Corporate Affairs Director at Aruba Desarrollos.

Other notable participants included Guillermo Almazo, Publisher and CEO of Inmobiliare & Inbound Logistics LATAM; Francisco Salazar, Founding Partner at ENIX; Juan Mason, Proptech and Real Estate Market Specialist; and Silvia Raquel García, Principal Researcher at UNAM.