Mexico’s Industrial Parks – Their Importance and Future in the Country
In recent years, Mexico has continuously expanded its infrastructure, as the country seeks to diversify its industry and offer attractive locations for international companies. This is the reason why industrial parks have become more important in Mexico and are about to change in the years to come, especially in terms of safety and sustainability.
Facts & Figures about Mexico’s Industrial Parks
In total, there are more than 350 industrial parks in Mexico, located in 20 different states and 140 municipalities, and currently there are about 3500 different companies operating there. The vast majority is located in the country’s Northwestern region (98), closely followed by the Northeastern region (97). 85% of all industrial parks can be found in just five states: Baja California (51), Nuevo León (49), Estado de México (40), Guanajuato (35) and Chihuahua (32). About 24% of the companies in these industrial parks belong to the automotive sector, while almost 16% are logistics and distribution companies and 6.6% are from the metalworking sector.
What is the Importance of Industrial Parks for Mexico?
The facts above show that industrial parks are being established in an increasing number of states, thus promoting market diversification and operational processes expansion. The “Asociación Mexicana de Parques Industriales Privados” (AMPIP), the leading organization of industrial parks in Mexico, repeatedly emphasizes their great importance for the country. They cite three parameters that underline this. Firstly, the parks create around three million jobs and, furthermore, AMPIP has planned to invest around 4,600 million dollars in two years. Probably the most important point, however, is that global companies are locating in the industrial parks, making the sites even more attractive to more international companies. The country’s private industrial parks also increase the likelihood of new foreign direct investment. International companies usually look for locations with specific characteristics, such as a geographic location that facilitates access to different markets, as well as labor availability, both of which are amongst Mexico´s strengths. The Bajío region is an excellent example of this development. Over the past 15 years, the region has become increasingly important, with more and more companies in the automotive, aerospace, medical technology, and electronics sector moving their factories there.
Sustainability and Safety are the Values of the Future
However, due to their great importance for Mexico, industrial parks are also facing some changes. Companies are increasingly demanding sustainable parks, and issues such as safety and empathy with local workers as well as the understanding of a community are also coming into focus. According to AMPIP, many buildings in Mexico’s industrial parks already have the “International Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design” (LEED) certification, which evaluates a building’s environmental impact. AMPIP has also developed a program for the introduction of clean energy in industrial parks, which is now being implemented step by step.
Another important issue is safety, which is why Mexico is now implementing higher safety standards in industrial parks. AMPIP’s private parks have already completed the first steps of the new safety concept, which includes a problem analysis, an action plan, the creation of a concept, a risk analysis, the review of a total of ten standards, and a performance evaluation. Initial awards for implementation have already been received by parks in Nuevo León, Jalisco, Tlaxcala, Mexicali, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Estado de México and Querétaro. These recognitions were given during the “Primer Foro Virtual” 2021, where the arrival of Chinese investors in Mexico last year and the recovery expected this year, especially in the north of the country, were also discussed.
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