All Eyes Are on Mexican Talent
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All Eyes Are on Mexican Talent

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Cinthya Alaniz Salazar By Cinthya Alaniz Salazar | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 10/15/2021 - 10:25

Recent automation technologies engineered by Mexicans have captured the interest of global organizations like NASA, Hannover Messe and Mitsubishi Electric. Domestic recognition and prioritization of STEM fields has begun to yield results, which has drawn international investment thereby promising to catapult Mexico as a global leader in automation technologies.

Mexico’s exceptionalism was showcased most recently on the development of the AzTechSat-1, a 10-cm nano-satellite commissioned by NASA that can sustaining round-the-clock communication with its Globalstar satellite network. The tiny satellite was deployed from the International Space Station in February 2020, where it continues to orbit just below the Globalstar satellites, effectively replacing several terrestrial antenna stations.

“It seems simple, but it’s something that had not been done before,” said Project Director Eugenio Urrutia from Universidad Autónoma Popular del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP). NASA´s assignment “recognized the potential in Mexico and at UPAEP", and from his perspective, his team, mostly compromised of undergraduate researchers, delivered. 

Mexico’s invitation to the 2018 Hannover Messe industrial trade fair in Germany was a direct result of a federal led “collaboration between the public and private sectors,” Elisa Crespo, Vice President of the Automotive Cluster of the State of Mexico, told MBN. Ready to make a strong statement, Mexico arrived with a delegation of over 100 companies and representatives from several states. This joint effort was success, drawing not only international investment but also persuading event organizers to export their event to Guanajuato.

In 2019, Hannover Messe crafted the Industrial Transformation Mexico Fair that has been running annually since. At this year’s event in Leon, Guanajuato, it was perceived that Mexico was emerging as a global leader in Industry 4.0. “Our executives were totally blown away by the level of technological development in Mexico,” said ITM General Director Azul Ogazón. The German company was so impressed with Mexico and the Bajio region, also called “the beating heart of industry in the country.” ITM has recently established permanent offices in Leon.

The technology displayed at this year’s event came from internationally recognized companies. Mitsubishi Electric explained that “Mexico [is] a very important source of talent for us, not only for filling positions… but also to equip the automation technology industry with more capable, qualified, and specialized people,” said Víctor Fuentes, Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing. Mitsubishi Electric donates MX$4 million (US$194,000) annually to universities leading in automation fields.

Mexico has the curricula and the public interest needed to foster and develop the talent of tomorrow to lead the fourth industrial revolution. Undoubtedly, government at all levels has a role to play through different means. As outlined in Mexico’s space cooperation agreement with Russia, both countries aim to foster and nurture talented youth with an emphasis in STEM majors. The federal government could expand its investment on education and delegate appropriate funds to states to introduce STEM field to students at a much younger age. This dedication is necessary and beneficial not only from a macroeconomic perspective but also for the citizens, who will be allowed to build generational wealth with STEM careers.

Photo by:   ThisisEngineering RAEng

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