Sonora seeks to attract investment

In order to boost the economy and attract investment in Sonora, communication and collaboration links have been established between Sonora and other entities in the Bajío region, such as Guanajuato, Querétaro, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí. Our purpose is to learn about the potential and opportunities in the area to develop a great manufacturing and technological dynamism can by means of a unifying economic development strategy.

Arturo Fernández, president of Invest Sonora EDC, revealed that a cooperation agreement will be signed soon between these entities and others in the North of Mexico with great industrial development, such as Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Juarez, in order to create a cooperation network that could lead to investment management, considering that there is a growing number of companies that are about to set up operations in Mexico.

"They are currently searching for a location and it is therefore imperative to provide a wide range of options in different parts of the country. The alliance would thus enable us to guarantee a complete service, from industrial spaces, suppliers, machinery, to a competitive labor force," he stated.

He also said that there are US and Canadian companies that are already looking for locations to set up in Mexico, for the Mexico-US-Canada Agreement has introduced possibilities for local suppliers.

NEW LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY IN SONORA

Fernández added that Invest Sonora is already increasing its number of members, with a target of over 100 companies for this year; for this purpose, they have already carried out mappings throughout the area to identify the main local business groups and are currently defining the best possible strategy.

"We are looking for companies willing to join us through partnerships or direct membership. We are working on the integration to our ecosystem of certain companies that we have already met", he stated.

He said that they are meeting with all types of companies that could offer both products and services, and gave as an example the case of several software companies with high-tech programs for agriculture, mining and construction projects. He restated that the mapping is carefully done in all the productive sectors of the entity.

"As part of the strategy, the directory will be operated through an appropriate economic development ecosystem" he explained.

Fernández added that the Ford assembly plant, located in Hermosillo, Sonora, supports over 90 companies involved in its manufacturing processes and services; however, there are other sectors such as aerospace, electronics and biomedical that share their suppliers with other sectors such as the automotive industry.

Sonora diversifies

Hermosillo hosts 90% of the mining industry suppliers; there is, however, some companies are already actively working on their diversification for there is a strong demand from other sectors, such as aerospace and electronics.

Arturo Fernandez stated that they are also trying to attract companies willing to invest in different sectors, especially domestic companies that specialize in certain processes, products or services.

"Accounting, customs and engineering offices, could be incorporated, for companies that come to an entity are not only looking for any industrial space, but also for assistance to set them up. In Sonora we have the capacity to support the industry”, he added.

Human capital development

One of the most important projects is to have a qualified workforce that responds to the specialized processes of today's industry, said Arturo Fernandez; therefore, universities are constantly generating and training required human talent as part of the investment attraction processes.

He said that projects such as the Dual Training Program have also been a case of success in Sonora, given that joining forces with the Ministry of Education and business organizations such as Coparmex ensures that the curricula meet the type of training required by the industry.

"In border cities such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales, among others, this program is a guaranteed success, as it has been field tested with graduates for several years; in cities such as Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregon there is qualified labor available," he said.

Sonora, being the second largest state in the country, promotes decentralized investment projects that seek an alliance with other regions of Mexico, such as the Bajio region, and thus meet the large investments expected, so Arturo Fernandez, president of Invest Sonora EDC, stressed that economic development is a project that must be driven by the private sector.

Invest Sonora EDC is a business-backed project, allowing to create trust among stakeholders, thus providing investment projects continuity and looking to create timely conditions for their implementation.