Located in northeastern Mexico, the State of Nuevo León is a driving force in Mexico manufacturing and industry. For over 20 years, it has led the country in foreign investment, hosting more than 3,900 international businesses and ranking number one on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index. This is due to many factors, including its high quality of life, world-class industrial infrastructure, unique cluster ecosystem, leading universities in the area, and commitment to technology and innovation.

Nuevo León, and especially its capital city of Monterrey, which is home to 89% of the state’s population, has long been known for its industrial economy. This is possible due to its large population of highly-skilled humans with an enterprising and hard-working spirit, making it ideal for companies looking to start up business in Mexico. The state is also home to over 148,000 established economic units, 859 of which are registered in the IMMEX program.

One of the main reasons the state is so attractive for international companies in Mexico is its proximity to the United States and great connectivity. Between 2015 and 2019 the state received 326 foreign direct investment projects from: USA (199), South Korea (55), Japan (23), Germany (21), China (16) and Spain (12). The main sectors for these are in the automotive industry in Mexico, manufacturing, energy, logistics, home appliances, food & beverages, furniture, IT and software and the aerospace industry in Mexico.

Another reason Nuevo León has been able to attract this level of investment is its world-class infrastructure. It has:

• 2 international airports with 46 flight destinations (32 national and 14 international)
• The most complete railroad infrastructure in Mexico
• Efficient highways connecting it to the US border at Laredo and McAllen, TX and to the main cities and ports in Mexico
• Colombia international border bridge with USA
• Modern and efficient transportation, bus and 3 metro lines in the metropolitan area
• More than 120 industrial parks

It also has a unique cluster ecosystem that has been designed and developed to promote long-term and sustainable economic growth through intelligent collaborations based on a common purpose, sector-specific strategies, and matching government projects with the real needs of industry and academia.

Part of this collaboration includes some of Mexico’s best-ranked private universities, such as the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), and of one of the country’s largest engineering schools, the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). Each year around 11,000 technicians graduate from these universities, in addition to 7,500 engineers and 1,000 students with masters degrees and doctorates.

Nuevo León also boasts a high quality of life, with 4 of the 10 best cities to live in Mexico being located in the state. One of these is San Pedro Garza García, which has consistently been rated as the city with the highest quality of life in Mexico. Its high levels of safety and infrastructure have made it one of the sought-after areas for industrial real estate in Mexico.

A new initiative, known as Nuevo León 4.0,  supports the industry through digital transformation actions in universities and innovation centers, it has positioned the region as one of the most attractive sites for Industry 4.0 in America. The initiative has triggered a steady demand for novel technologies within the regional economic ecosystem, resulting in a growing number of technology startups nurtured by risk capital in the region.

The development of key infrastructure is also helping to further the advancement of R&D and innovation. The Research and Technology Innovation Park (PIIT), located in Apodaca, is the only one of its kind in Latin America and the only one in Mexico to belong to the Association of Universities Research Parks and the International Association of Science Parks.

Given all these qualities, Nuevo León is an excellent place to invest in a wide range of industries from manufacturing services to technology, aerospace, or for relocating nearshore or offshore manufacturing in Mexico.

By Paulina González | Monterrey Regional Director | American Industries Group®