Stellantis, UTEQ to Expand Engineering Center

Universidad Tecnológica de Queretaro (UTEQ) and Stellantis announced a joint investment of MX$8 million (US$392,924) to expand Peugeot’s engineering center, specialized in aftermarket services. A project that initially supported 45 dealerships will now expand to 219.

“(The engineering center) will have state-of-the-art technology and vehicles. Currently, the industry requires the best technicians for a market that continuously raises quality standards. It is an honor to participate in the renovation of the center and to reach more young people. Today the state is consolidated nationally and internationally as an automotive and aerospace hub," said Bruno Cattori, CEO, Stellantis México, as reported by local newspapers.

The UTEQ-Stellantis center will now support 219 Peugeot, Chrysler, FIAT, RAM, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Dodge dealerships, training 6,570 technicians and benefiting 2,500 university students, said José Carlos Arredondo Velázquez, Rector, UTEQ. The announcement was made during the TechWeek by Tier 1 Brose, a local event for automotive industry players to network.

The first edition of the event, organized by Brose, aimed to create new triple-helix models for the development of the state. Mauricio Kuri González, Governor of Queretaro, said that every player involved in the industry is aware of the challenges that the current times present but everything is set to “take Queretaro to the next level.”

Recently, Queretaro’s Ministry of Sustainable Development informed that the state has 34 potential projects incoming, which would imply investments of up to MX$80 billion (US$3.93 billion) and the creation of 15,000 new jobs. The state has attracted 207 new projects in the last six years, for a total investment of US$4.4 billion and over 53,000 new jobs, with the automotive sector playing a crucial role, representing over 36 percent of the total investments, as reported by MBN.

Queretaro continues working to position itself as a key industrial hub in the country, both through infrastructure and talent. “Regions that have a large number of engineers, engineering centers and good universities are usually attractive for FDI. Regions must be prepared because they cannot develop these abilities from one day to another. In the coming months, we will see interesting investments in the best-prepared regions,” said to MBN Manuel Montoya, President, Automotive Cluster Network.

In addition to the talent development projects, the state works toward a better-connected industry. This week, Kansas City Southern announced the construction of a new vehicle distribution center in the state to meet the logistic demands of Mexico’s key regions.