Queretaro Hosts Automotive & Aerospace Meetings 2026

Summary: Queretaro is hosting the Automotive & Aerospace Meetings 2026, an international forum expected to bring together over 400 companies from Feb. 18–19. The event positions the state as a strategic hub for automotive, aerospace, and technology sectors, strengthening global supply chain integration and nearshoring opportunities under the USMCA. Anticipated participation from multinational firms and investors underscores Queretaro’s role in Mexico’s industrial and digital ecosystem.

Queretaro strengthened its role as a strategic industrial hub with the opening of the Automotive & Aerospace Meetings 2026, an international business forum that brings together over 400 companies from 15 countries and more than 800 industry participants.

Organizers expect the event to generate approximately 8,000 pre-scheduled business meetings, reinforcing Queretaro’s position as a key platform for supplier integration, advanced manufacturing and cross-border collaboration in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

Queretaro Strengthens Its Industrial Positioning

The selection of Queretaro as host reflects the state’s growing relevance within Mexico’s industrial landscape, particularly in high-value manufacturing and technological activities.

At the opening ceremony, Marco Antonio Del Prete Tercero, Minister of Sustainable Development (SEDESU), said the state’s production capabilities and skilled workforce were decisive factors. He noted that the automotive and aerospace industries are among the most important pillars of the regional economy.

According to Del Prete, these sectors account for 26% of transportation equipment manufacturing in the state, underscoring Queretaro’s installed capacity, specialized supplier base and technical talent development within Mexico’s industrial ecosystem.

The forum is designed as a practical business development platform aimed at strengthening global supply chains, while operating under a B2B meeting model, allowing buyers and suppliers to engage in pre-arranged agendas.

Technology Sector Set for Accelerated Growth in 2026

Alongside manufacturing, Queretaro’s technology sector is emerging as a complementary growth engine, driven by regulatory changes and digital transformation.

Industry estimates project that the state’s technology sector will grow between 18% and 23% in 2026, following a 12% expansion in 2025. Growth is being fueled by demand for cybersecurity services, artificial intelligence applications and new customs compliance systems, reported MBN. 

Miguel Ángel Carapia, President, Vortice IT Cluster Queretaro, said tighter international trade regulations, particularly between the United States and Mexico, are driving demand for software and data management solutions. He noted that recent changes in US customs law require precise digital tracking of imports and exports from origin to destination.

“These regulatory shifts create a permanent need for logistics monitoring systems, which opens significant opportunities for technology companies,” Carapia said.

Infrastructure Investment and Corporate Expansion

The projected technology growth builds on a strong investment cycle completed in 2025, when Queretaro attracted more than MX$30 billion (US$1.6 billion) in new capital.

Del Prete said the state closed 53 investment projects during the year, generating 10,220 new formal jobs. The formal economy now accounts for 60.5% of total employment, reinforcing economic stability.

FDI remains a core driver. From 2006 through the 3Q25, Queretaro accumulated MX$19.3 billion (US$1.07 billion) in FDI, as multinational firms expanded operations to leverage the local industrial and digital ecosystem.

In January 2025, Amazon Web Services announced a US$5 billion investment over 15 years to build three data centers in the municipalities of Colón, El Marqués and Pedro Escobedo. The facilities will support AI, Internet of Things applications and large-scale data processing.

Microsoft also established its first hyperscale cloud data center region in Mexico in Queretaro as part of a US$1.1 billion digital transformation initiative serving sectors such as healthcare, government and finance.

In logistics, DHL Express invested US$120 million to automate its hub at Queretaro International Airport, increasing capacity to 41,000 packages per hour. The airport handled 75,248 tons of air cargo in 2025, a 6.3% increase from the previous year.

Mexico’s Investment Outlook Amid Structural Challenges

Queretaro’s expansion unfolds against a broader national backdrop of cautious optimism regarding Mexico’s investment climate.

Investor interest remains supported by expectations of renewed regional integration under the USMCA, reinforcing Mexico’s role in nearshoring and advanced manufacturing. However, analysts warn that institutional weaknesses, governance concerns and uncertainty around potential policy shifts under US President Donald Trump could affect trade stability and capital inflows, reported MBN. 

Experts from the Institute of International Finance said cooperative approaches on trade and migration could support a favorable USMCA review, but persistent domestic challenges may still weigh on investor confidence.

The IIF identified five key risks tied to the upcoming USMCA review, including security cooperation tensions, structural violence, potential unilateral US measures, complexities in relations with China, and economic pressure from Washington.

The International Chamber of Commerce Mexico has also stressed the need to strengthen transparency and governance, noting that a clear and measurable plan to reinforce Mexico’s National Anti-Corruption System would help sustain long-term investor confidence.