The state of Nuevo León is making steady progress in consolidating an ecosystem of innovation and advanced technology. The process began with the robotization and automation of production lines in automotive plants; now, humanoid robot manufacturing companies have expressed interest in investing in the state.
During the panel “Strategic Sectors and Industrial Policy, Opportunities for Plan Mexico,” held within the framework of Global Transportation & Innovation—which will take place at Cintermex on June 4 and 5—Emmanuel Loo, head of the State Secretariat of Economy, reported that they are in the process of announcing the first humanoid robot factory for the industry.
“We are in the process of announcing the first humanoid robot factory for the industry; we can’t announce it yet (due to confidentiality agreements), but it’s going to be a great project, as it’s a sector with great potential,” he commented during the panel, which also included Juan Porras, treasurer of Concamin.
He later told local media that there are between four and five companies interested in investing in the state to manufacture humanoid robots for export. Some already have contracts with factories in Nuevo León, and they expect to make investment announcements in the coming months.
“We are receiving a lot of interest from companies in the United States, especially from a sector that I believe could be a catalyst for Nuevo León, in the area of humanoid robots. We are very pleased that several projects are coming, and we will be announcing them in the coming months,” he reiterated.
He also said that during a recent tour of Europe, the German company Kuka Robotics announced its intention to establish a Research and Development Center in the Technological Research and Innovation Park (PIIT).
“Kuka is already on the exhibition floor, a company we brought from our last European tour, specializing in research and development, consulting, and implementation in robotics,” the official stated.
In context, Boston Dynamics, a Hyundai company, produces the Spot robot (a robot dog) in the state, which performs inspections of industrial sites, among other functions.
Designing the Technology of the Future
Emmanuel Loo emphasized that the state not only has the largest factories in the world, but also those that boast innovation, automation, and high technology. “We want them to not only bring manufacturing, for example, like ZF, which has design, software, hardware, R&D, and manufacturing; we’re doing the same with Volvo; these are major projects that allow us to design the technology of the future.”
In turn, Clelia Hernández, general director of the Nuevo León 4.0 Initiative, noted that 14 technologies based on the trends of major global firms have been developed in the state, thanks to investment, a culture of innovation, and a scientific and technological drive.
She emphasized that technological progress in the state is not accidental, but is built on industrial policies, trained human capital, leading universities, and public and private investment in research and development (R&D).
As an example, she mentioned Toyota, which evolved from the textile sector to the automotive and hydrogen sectors, thanks to scientific development and the international transfer of knowledge.
“Why did we get there?” It’s not a coincidence; it’s a constructed theme. We have KIA, which has a group that has acquired and developed robotics companies, is in the automotive industry, and other sectors,” through cross-cutting corporate policies, with information sharing and patent protection, which allows them to reinvest in new developments, emphasized Clelia Hernández.
Source: eleconomista
