Aerospace Industry in Mexico: The Next Frontier

Founded in 2015 and held biannually, with the next event scheduled for April 2021, FAMEX Mexico’s Aerospace Fair/Summit, is an event organized by the National Secretary of Defense through Mexico’s Air Force aimed at promoting economic development in the national aeronautics sector.

It has grown over the years from 240 companies from 16 counties participating in 2015, to 635 from 39 countries in 2019 and offers the perfect setting for not only learning about the competitive advantages of Mexico manufacturing and offshore manufacturing Mexico, but will also allow participants to learn from industry leaders about domestic and import markets, logistics, clusters in Mexico and intellectual property protection, among many other topics, as well as provide opportunities for networking and making connections with suppliers and buyers.

The FAMEX 2021 is scheduled to be held in Querétaro, which has experienced exponential growth in the sector over the last decade, and is home to 85 aeronautics companies, including key players such as Bombardier, Airbus, GE, Safran, ITP and PCC Aerostructures. The state also has the first and only specialized university in the aerospace industry, the University of Aeronautics of Querétaro (UNAQ). By creating ties with and investing in academia and its 12 research and design centers, the state has attracted direct foreign investment through the establishment of new factories in the sector and the incorporation of companies into the aerospace supply chain. 

Next years’ event, is set to be a catalyst for not only Mexico’s economic reactivation, but also for the manufacturing and aerospace industry as a whole, which has experienced the biggest contraction in the history of commercial aerospace on the tail of the global pandemic. Despite this dramatic downturn, there are still opportunities for commercial OEMs and suppliers to make changes that will allow them to prepare for recovery, including investing in stabilizing and diversifying supply chains, training and streamlining its workforce, and focusing on sustainability.

The United States, the world leader in the aeronautics industry, will be the FAMEX-2021 partner country, further highlighting the event’s status as one of the most attractive events in the sector, with the US Department of State having participated in the 2017 and 2019 events, and the US Air Force also exhibiting several aircraft.

All of this growth and synergy has been possible due to the leadership of the President of the  FAMEX’s organizing committee since its inception, General Rodolfo Rodríguez Quezada, who is also the Commander of the Military Air Base # 19 for the Secretariat of National Defense. General Rodríguez is confident that Mexico has all the elements in place to be in the top ten countries in aeronautics industry and that the upcoming Fair/Summit will aid in reactivating not only the sector, but also other sectors that can benefit from partnerships with the aeronautics sector including the metal-mechanic industry and automotive industry Mexico.

It is clear that the FAMEX 2021 is not-to-be missed for everyone in the sector, making now the perfect time find out more about how your company can start up business in Mexico and take advantage of the new USMCA, the strengthening of North American supply chains and OEMs, as well as the many advantages offered under Mexico’s IMMEX program.

By Alma Ortega | Institutional Relations | American Industries Group®